Revan & Malak
by one-bored-fangirl
Summary: This is about a certain Star Wars game called Knights of the Old Republic. It concerns Revan and Malak's little adventures, by my own account.
1. Episode 1

Okay this story is about KOTOR, if you haven't played, GO PLAY IT! It really is kinda fun  
  
Now, I'm not exactly sure about Revan and Malak's past but this is how I see it. So tough  
  
cookies or whatever. Don't bother me with any details I might have messed up. Unless it   
  
was really bad. On a side note the rating may go up in later chapters. Just violence. Nothing explicit. Or dirty. Or anything like that. I can't think of anything to say so I guess its on with show, story, thingy.  
  
Revan & Malak  
  
A woman dressed in plain sand colored robes readied her saber up into a defensive position. Waiting for a slim moment until the time was right, she sprinted across the room with saber held back ready to swing. Downward she slashed into the metal surface of the training droid, it hardly had time to register the attack before it was cleaved from shoulder to waist. Its parts clanging to the floor, glowing a hot red where it had been cut. She drew back her blade, turning around to face a man on the other side of the room. He too was dressed in the same attire, the plain and unassuming robes that nearly all the Jedi wore. He stood tall, his arms crossed and his face in a cocky manner. The sun from the window that ran across from wall to wall of the room reflected of his hairless head.  
  
"It seems every time I fight these "training" droids they get weaker." Her words floated across the room and into the ears of her friend.  
  
"I think you've had enough already, you scraped 5 of these things today." He stated.  
  
He was right, the room was littered with broken droid parts and weapons. The droids were getting so easy she thought. I need a real challenge to test my skill, her words sounded odd to her. A challenge to test myself? Where would I find such a thing in the halls of this academy. Surely not in one of the other students. The masters would never approve of sparing with another padawan or apprentice.  
  
"One more couldn't hurt." She laughed at her own comment, Walking over to a control panel near the entrance. But before she could enter the command for another training droid the slide open, the two doors sliding to either side into the walls. In walked an aged man wearing dark navy blue robes, his hood held up over his head. Taking the hood off of his head, it revealed a man that must have been in is 60's. His face looked weathered and wrinkled but still had a redness in his cheeks. Like an inviting warmth from a beloved and caring grandfather. His black and brownish hair seemed as if it was finally starting to recede with age, although he still had much of it.  
  
"Master Shandar." Malak spoke as he bowed. As did Revan. Shandar also bowed to each of them.  
  
"Yes, good day to you both, I see you have both been busy. As usual…" Shandar muttered his last words under his breath.  
  
"Actually it was all Revan this time, isn't that right?" Malak corrected Shandar and questioned Revan.  
  
"And I barely broke a sweat, are you sure there are no droids in the academy with at least a shred of difficulty left in them master?" Revan asked.  
  
"I think you shouldn't worry about such things Revan. You must learn to concentrate and use discipline to master yourself inward before facing stronger challenges outward. If you get what I mean." Shandar tried to explain what he meant to Revan a little better. She bowed her head as if nodding yes master I know master, I will master.  
  
"Yes..master." There was a pause between the two words.  
  
"Speaking of "mastering myself inwardly". Did you get those data records from the archives I requested master?" Revan questioned Shandar.  
  
"Oh? Which ones were those?" Shandar questioned back, seeming as if he didn't remember any data records at all.  
  
"The ones I specified the other day for. The ones master Linatra wouldn't let me have access to. "Remember?" Malak was slightly chuckling at the forgetfulness of Shandar by now.   
  
"Oh! Yes, those ones, I stopped by at your room looking for you earlier today, looking to give them to you. I checked in side you see, and you weren't there, so I just dropped them off and continued on with my daily activities and all you know. When I couldn't find either you or Malak anywhere else in the academy, I ended up finding you here. Wreaking havoc among the training droids no less, now the only other place I though I'd find you was-"  
  
"YES!. Thank you for the data records master." Revan finally ended Shandar's rambling. Malak was barley controlling his laughter now.  
  
"Those were quite difficult to get mind you. Linatra wondered what I wanted them for, but of course I couldn't tell her they were for a student. They ARE restricted after all." Shandar emphasized on the restricted part.  
  
"And I thank you for them master. Sometimes master Linatra just doesn't understand. Eh Malak?"  
  
Revan's words were directed more towards Malak.  
  
"Why must you remind me of that memory time and time again Revan? I'm trying to forget that misunderstanding." Revan was referring to and incident that had occurred when Malak had first entered the academy. Malak and Linatra had a "misunderstanding" about light sabers, frustrating droids and computers, and Jedi Library rules and regulations. But Malak wont go into his punishment any further.  
  
"Because that is when you learned that being a janitorial droid is a hard job." Revan and Shandar too laughed at the joke, while stone faced Malak let out a horrifying grimace. Which only brought about more laughter.  
  
  
  
Just as the laughter was dying down another man, or rather a boy, entered the room. He was dressed in traditional Jedi robes, he looked thin, and wiry. He looked almost out of place in robes. His face was covered in anxiety and was topped with a mess of auburn hair.  
  
"Master Shandar?" The boy asked.  
  
"I am he." Shandar announced himself.  
  
"The Jedi council wishes to speak with you, if you have the time sir." His voice carried a fresh sense of innocence and naivety.  
  
"The JedI council eh? I wonder what they want..hmmm..well..thank you young..er..padawan..or whatever you are." Shandar turned to Revan and Malak. "I'm glad I got to see my pupils at least once today, ha!." With that final remark he donned his hood and exited the training facility. Revan smirked, Malak frowned, and Bandon looked dumbfounded.  
  
"I think he's losing himself, somewhere." Malak said.  
  
"As long as keeps getting me classified data and holocrons from the Jedi archives, he can lose off a cliff for all I care." Revan joked.  
  
"Isn't he your master?" Bandon asked, hoping to get a response out of at least one of the two.  
  
"Don't get us wrong, we have a lot of respect for Shandar, he is a JedI master after all." Revan fulfilled Bandon's hopes with an answer.  
  
"Even though he is a little forgetful." Malak added.  
  
"At least he's not as strict as master Mandrak, I don't think he likes me…" Bandon trailed off.  
  
"It doesn't surprise me that Mandrak wouldn't be fond of a neophyte padawan like yourself." Said Malak.  
  
"Hey! I'm..I'm strong in the force. Really strong!." Bandon protested.  
  
"Oh yeah?" Revan said, smirking a devious little grin across her face. She turned to the control panel to her side that she was going to use earlier. Her fingers danced across the panel as she spoke." One training droid. Attack mode. Target, Bandon." With that final key stroke a door on the left side of the room slid down, and out stepped one of the droids Revan had been slicing to pieces before. Bandon took a step back. Malak looked amused. "Scared?" Revan asked the obvious question. Bandon replied by reaching down to the sliver light saber at his belt, pulling it up and into a defensive position. He moved his feet into a stance he had been taught, and with a press of a button his saber flickered to life. The violet blade reaching the appropriate height instantly. The droid's head turned to Bandon, its visual receptors focusing on him. Raising its blaster rifle to aim and shoot. And shoot it did, a blaster bolt wised across the room. Revan and Malak expected that blast to hit Bandon dead on but to their surprise he deflected it, the blast scorching the ceiling instead of Bandon's chest. But before Bandon could pat himself on the back for a job well done the droid shot again, this time several blasts in quick succession. Bandon dashed out of the way just in time before the bolts hit, creating a few sizzling holes in the floor. Bandon then gained his bearings, getting the droid in his sights before charging it, blade held outward ready to deflect an attack. The sounds of shots being fired echoed throughout the room, as Bandon brushed away each shot with a wave of his saber. Now within striking distance, Bandon swung downward at the droid. But much to his dismay the droid dodged it, quickly moving to the right, Bandon's arc of attack going wide. An outstretched foot added to the miss, tripping Bandon, sending him tumbling to the ground.  
  
The droid turned, leveling its gun to Bandon. Bandon, red faced with fear and anger, stared down the barrel of the rifle pointed at him. Raising his hand, Bandon screamed a cry of rage. A burst of invisible force energy sent a shockwave across the room, nearly knocking Revan and Malak off their feet. The droid however was sent flying, crashing into the window.  
  
Bandon stood up, brushing hair out of his face, and took a deep breath. Trying to calm himself. He looked visibly shaken. Revan and Malak stood trying to grasp the situation. Bandon, the neopadawan had just delivered an amazing amount of force energy to the broadside of a droid, which was probably half way around Coruscant by now. Bandon finally spoke up "There..I told you I was strong…"  
  
"Yeah..well..if the masters ask about the window..we broke it" Revan spoke softly, still a little amazed by Bandon's display.  
  
"We should probably go…" Malak suggested.  
  
"Good idea. Hey Bandon, why don't you join us for a drink?"  
  
Before they headed on to one of the academies docking bays, they stopped by at Revan's room, in the dormitories. "Wait here." She said before entering her room. Closing the door behind her she made her way to a desk covered in data pads and holocrons. Looking through them, she discovered the one master Shandar had dropped off. Getting into the chair and sliding up to the desk, she placed the data pad into the data port in her computer. The data automatically loaded into the computer, nearly ripping the pad out she plopped it on top of the mess on her desk, this pattern had developed a long time ago. It makes quite a mess.  
  
Looking over the words and images on the screen she nodded and let out a sigh. "Yeah this it…" Feeling like something was going right this day, she still felt a little troubled about Bandon. Who would have though that little padawan could have done that, I could feel his anger, She though on this as someone knocked on the door a few impatient times. "Just a minute!" Turning her gaze back towards the computer and desk she couldn't help but see the huge mess that was strewn about her desk. "Ah, I'll clean it later…"  
  
"What's she doing in there?" Bandon asked Malak, trying to make a little small talk with him.  
  
"Fixing her hair…" Malak said in a sarcastic tone. If you can believe he could. The door slid open, revealing Revan, her hair as it was when she entered.   
  
"Was it the data you were searching for?" Malak asked to Revan.  
  
"Yeah, Shandar did good, for once."   
  
"What data, something from the archives?" Bandon said inquisitively.  
  
"Nothing that would concern you, I am sure." Malak answered before Revan could.  
  
"Don't worry about it. Come on, lets go."  
  
The group made their way through the academies expansive halls and highly decorated rooms full of students and JedI around every corner. It was always this busy, well usually. When they finally reached the docking bay where they're speeder was parked it was all but empty, save for a few cleaning and maintenance droids bustling about. Malak had a distaste for droids, ever since the incident with Linatra. Only Revan, master Linatra, and a certain janitorial droid know what happened, and they have taken a vow of silence, honoring Malak's request to maintain his reputation. They reached a sleek looking speeder with a fine chrome finish lathered across its surface. The only areas that didn't have the silver touch were vents and external parts. A maintenance droid approached Malak and spoke " Your speeder is fueled and ready padawan Malak." Malak, looking rather grumpy, snatched the keys from the droids outstretched hand.   
  
"That will be all droid." Malak ordered to the droid. The droid got the message and quickly scurried off to some other unknown duty.  
  
Malak hopped inside the driver side of the speeder and sunk into the seat. Revan did the same into the front side passenger seat. With no other choice Bandon fumbled into the back seat.  
  
"Um..hey..where are the seat belts?" Bandon asked, sounding worried.  
  
  
  
"Seat belts? Hey Malak, what are those?" Asked Revan, to Malak.  
  
"I have no idea." Before Bandon could protest about the lack of safety features in Malak's speeder, the engines were rumbling and they were off. Zooming down the huge cavern of a docking bay and out the gaping doors into the open air. It was deep in the evening and the Coruscant sun was setting off in the distance behind the gigantic skyline of buildings. The sky was partly cloudy, forming into odd shapes in the sky that may have looked like anything to anyone, if anyone wasn't too busy going about their business on the planet. Malak piloted the speeder into a lane of heavy traffic, guiding it skillfully through the air. Bandon sunk even lower into his seat now as they picked up a little more speed. It seem like an eternity that they traveled going deeper and deeper through lanes of endless traffic, at least to poor Bandon it did. The darkness creeped over them, they didn't know if it had turned to night or if it was just the darkness of Coruscant's under city. Finally Malak slowed down in front of what appeared to be some kind of cantina or bar. Slowing down and eventually coming to a stop in front of it. Making sure the repulsorlifts were stable to keep it from banging to the ground, he shut the engines off. Practically leaping out of the speeder with a heavy thud from his boots connecting with the hard concrete. Revan disembarked from the speeder similarly, and Bandon fumbled out just as gracefully as the way he entered it. Malak look around eyeing the people who were eyeing his speeder, as Bandon tried his best to put his hair back into the way it was before the wind of the speeder ride.   
  
"We're going here…?" Bandon was speaking of the seedy bar they were now parked in front of.  
  
"Yeah, what about it?" Revan replied, her cool demeanor unfailing.  
  
"Uh..nothing…" Bandon muttered and trailed off.  
  
"Just watch yourself okay? The scum in this place can be pretty bad sometimes." Revan's advice fell hard on Bandon's ears. Scum? He thought. Revan made her way to the entrance, followed by Malak, who was followed by Bandon. The place was low lighted, and was filled with all manner of aliens, and many humans too. Tables were scattered around the cantina, aliens sat at them all drinking they're favorite poisons. The actual bar was a circular type structure that looped around in the center on the cantina. The group made they're way to the bar, each taking a seat next to each other. Bandon on the left, Malak in the middle, and Revan on the right.   
  
A Twi'lek who must have been the bartender sprang up from a crouching position behind the bar, nearly knocking Bandon off his stool. "Ah, sorry about that dear sentient. Would you like something to drink?" He spoke in basic, which wasn't much a surprise to Revan. "Correlian ale, in a clean glass." Revan requested. "Make that two." Malak responded in kind.  
  
"And for you?" The Twi'lek directed his attention to Bandon.  
  
"Oh me? Um..water."  
  
"Water…right, I'll have that for you in a moment." He went to his duty of preparing they're drinks.  
  
"I wonder when we'll get a chance to get off world next." Revan said.  
  
"Hopefully soon. I'm getting sick of rotting in that academy every day." Malak commented.  
  
"I've never been off of Coruscant, well..ever since I came to the academy." Bandon tried to add his own opinion to the conversation.  
  
"Hmm..where did you come to the academy from?" Revan asked.  
  
"Dantooine. It's a farm world if you've never heard of it. Not much going on there then..or ever. A really boring place to live if there ever was one."   
  
"Sounds like a fun place…" said Revan. Just as Revan finished her comment an enormous, fat, ugly, and rather smelly Gamorean tapped Bandon on his shoulder. "Hey your in my seat!" He squealed. Bandon obviously didn't speak Gamorean and looked dumbfounded over his shoulder and the ugly mug of his harasser.  
  
"I..I don't want any trouble." Bandon said while getting out of the stool.  
  
"You Jedi are all the same. Always barging around like you own place. Well let me tell you something. I own place. Ha! That's right, this is my bar, so you better..uh..watch where you step okay?" The Gamorean seemed to be enjoying bullying Bandon about with his taunts. But Malak did not look amused.  
  
"I said I don't want any trouble, just leave me alone." Bandon looked ever more frightened that he did before.  
  
"No trouble huh? If we wanted to give you trouble you know it. You'd be dead so fast you'd be..uh..dead really fast! Yeah! What are you gonna do about that Jedi Huh?" The Gamorean gave Bandon an intimidating shove, almost knocking him to the floor. It seemed as if his two friends had abandoned him so far, but Malak rose out from his seat standing at his full height, towering over the Gamorean that had just pushed Bandon.  
  
"Ooh! Looks like little humie has big humie to look out for him! Ha ha! Stand up for him!" The Gamorean didn't seem impressed by Malak but that all changed. In a flash of blue light Malak's saber was out, drawn, and poised at the aliens neck. Bandon looked pale with fear, cowering behind Malak. Revan's hand lowered down to her belt, carefully eyeing those in the crowed that had now gathered. The Gamorean gulped, and stood frozen in place. His two buddies not knowing whether to run for it or to try and take this JedI on.  
  
Don't do it Malak. Maybe he'll just walk away. Revan thought. Although, she was spoiling for a good fight, and this may be a good chance. Before she could finish her train of though, a cry from the crowd and blaster shot broke her concentration. There was also the sound of a swishing light saber and the thud of something heaving hitting the floor. She leaped from the seat and drew her blade just in time to deflect the bolts that were aimed at her, sending them back into the crowd, downing a few humans and aliens. Bandon was not so lucky, a shot traveled to him, slamming into his abdomen, sending him to the floor with a cry of pain. Malak had already dispatched the other two Gamoreans with a wide horizontal blade slash that cleaved both of the aliens into four pieces. The smell of burning flesh was already in the air, and Gamoreans smell even worse when burning. Chaos soon erupted throughout the bar as anyone who had any kind of weapon started firing. Revan met Malak at his side and said quickly "We have to get out of here now!" Her voice was barely audible from the screams and blaster shots. "Get Bandon!"   
  
Revan leapt into the fray, swinging her blade at an assaulting human with a rusty old vibro blade, knocking it aside before plunging her saber deep into his chest. Quickly drawing it out before he slumped to the floor. Reacting to bolts of energy being shot her, deflecting them easily back to their owners, taking them down. With barely any time to react an alien she wasn't too sure about or didn't really care at the time took a swing at her with a hefty vibro blade. Blocking it, she jumped back slightly as he attacked again, this time missing. She focused, and with a display of the force pushed the alien onto his back, within a split second Revan had already beheaded the alien. Malak was now making his way with Bandon hunched over his shoulder, Malak seemed to be able to support him. Blaster shots zoomed past them just barely missing each time, they picked up the pace making they're way out of the cantina. Revan drew back her light saber as she went out to join them soon after.  
  
Malak, as gently as he could laid Bandon down in the back seat of the speeder before getting in himself. Revan running as fast as she could from the cantina, shots coming after her, jumped into the speeder just as it was taking off. "I think we got away!" Revan proclaimed. Sadly though she could see behind them a number of speeders with angry looking aliens in them starting up. "Step on it!" She said.  
  
The sound of speeders at full throttle was heavy, as Malak zoomed in and out of the late night traffic of the under city. Following close behind him in pursuit were three speeders with a deadly cargo of really pissed off aliens. Some tried taking shots at Malak but they all went wide., either hitting an adjacent building or a probably innocent civilians speeder. Just barely dodging a waste hauling vehicle, Malak took a sharp turn around a corner. Revan being tossed to her left from the turn while Bandon bounced around in the back seat. Looking behind him, Malak noted that only two speeders were now following them, but they were gaining fast. Must be in swoop gangs he thought, only way that they could ever have speeders as fast as his. Malak suddenly shot down, going almost completely vertical. Bracing themselves with they're feet to avoid falling out. Revan held on as tight as she could, gritting her teeth as they plummeted through the busy traffic. Speeders of all kinds wised past them, just barely missing them by a few feet at a time. Malak expertly avoided everything in his way. Feeling that he had lost his pursuers Malak pulled up, gradually slowing down and merging into a lane.  
  
"Ok, now I think we lost them." Revan corrected herself. Malak could only smile, feeling very pleased with himself for the stunt he just pulled. Revan looked into the back seat, seeing an unconscious Bandon lying down on the seats. A black scorch mark was on his abdomen, it had charred his robes there and probably the flesh underneath. But the wound wasn't too serious. Just a quick check up by a meddroid and he'll be alright.  
  
"I think he'll make it." Revan said as she turned around to face ahead.  
  
"He's stronger than he appears." Said Malak.  
  
"If you mean strong in the force, yeah. That little display of the force he did in the training room. Could you feel it, that power…and anger"  
  
"Yes, and no doubt the masters at the academy felt is as well. I didn't know Bandon could do that. If master   
  
Mandrak knew..hmm..I don't know. Should we tell Shandar?"  
  
"No..if Bandon wants anyone to know he'll tell his master, or another one. If he's too afraid to talk with Mandrak."  
  
Revan felt at a loss of words, and a little exhausted as well. Those damn Gamoreans, I didn't even get to have my drink before they messed up our night. And now we have to explain how Bandon got shot, and probably the broken window back at the academy. What a great night. What else could go wrong. She sat their in the passenger seat thinking on this, as they headed back to the academy. The lights of Coruscant were glimmering all around them as they traveled trough the air. She felt tired, almost sleepy. Its just one of those days I guess, she thought. All the days at the academy are like that, tired, bored, kind of like the trip we're on now. Zooming through the most vibrant and beautiful city of the core worlds, but not caring about it at all. We've seen it time and time again, over and over, the same thing. Revan's eyes began flickering, then shutting, she started to fall into a deep sleep, feeling the wind blow across her face in a soothing touch.  
  
Finally Malak could see the subtly lit tower of the JedI academy across the star filled sky. Piloting to it, he wondered what kind of punishment lay in wait for them.  
  
"And this was all in self defense!? Correct!?" Master Mandrak screamed at Revan and Malak, demanding an answer. Bandon was absent, since he was currently in the infirmary being treated for his injury.  
  
"It appears my students had no choice, judging from their story. If they did not act, they might have been killed." Shandar interrupted.  
  
"I was not asking you Shandar I was asking these delinquent students of yours!" Mandrak's brow was furred with anger, and his face was a boiling bright red. His heavy robes matched his face in a shade of bright and dark reds with black lining across the rims. His hood was down, allowing him to rant at Revan and Malak with all of his fury. "If they were true Jedi they would have been able to reason with them and to come to a peaceful solution."   
  
"Bandon's life was a stake, and theirs as well. I am sure they tried to reason with the brutes all they could." Shandar appeared to be trying to defend them. Malak shifted a little remembering that is was he who drew his saber at the Gamoreans throat first. Without a single word.  
  
"A Jedi can always find a peaceful solution to any problem, even when death is staring right a them!" Mandrak continued to argue with Shandar. Mandrak always did have quite a temper, and it was becoming legendary around the halls of the academy.  
  
"Not all conflicts can be settled with a peaceful solution. You should know that Mandrak." Shandar said. Mandrak's face looked as if he was in deep thought for a moment, remembering something from the past that may have had something to do with the situation at present. Revan and Malak stood silent, waiting for Mandrak's reply.  
  
"Yes, well..I..suppose there was nothing you could do. But don't forget this lesson and pass it over, I am sure my student won't." Mandrak seemed to be cooling down, his face had returned to its normal color and looked less intense than it had before.  
  
"Yes master Mandrak.'" Revan and Malak said in unison.  
  
"Good night." Mandrak said bluntly, before storming off into the night.  
  
"Don't worry about him, he'll cool off..eventually. Well I cant help but say that I'm rather impressed with you two. It seems your combat training has really paid of hasn't it? Did you get that fight you were looking for?" Shandar actually looked happy, a stark contrast to master Mandrak.  
  
"Yes, well..we didn't actually get to do much fighting. We pretty much just got out of there as fast as we could." Revan said modestly.  
  
"Easy pickings." Malak added.   
  
"Is Bandon okay?" Revan asked.  
  
"Oh Bandon, he was injured wasn't he? Yes, he'll be fine, just a little shaken up. He'll be in tip top shape by tomorrow don't you worry, he he." Shandar chuckled to himself. " Its getting late you know, and I really must retire. I hope I get to see my pupils tomorrow, ha!" Shandar the left the two there alone, standing together.  
  
"I though we'd be in bigger trouble than this…" Revan said, then sighing to herself. "Shandar's almost a little too forgiving. But what the hell am I complaining about, we got off the hook and Bandon isn't dead." Revan said. Malak looked sleepy and was practically dozing off on his feet.  
  
"Come on Revan, lets just get our rooms and end this terrible night." Revan agreed and the two traveled through the academy to the dormitory and to their separate rooms. "Good night Revan." Malak said just as the door shut in front of her outside Malak's room. She let out a deep sigh and continued on to her own room. But before she could enter the access code into the door panel, she heard footsteps running down the dark hall and a silhouette of someone coming down the hall. When he finally came into the light she saw it was Bandon, panting and wheezing from running halfway across the academy. Getting up to her, he took a moment to catch his breath before speaking. " Hey Revan.." He said a little meekly.  
  
"Um..hey Bandon. Was there something you wanted?" Revan said, just wanting to get inside her room and to go right to sleep. But she had to deal with Bandon first.  
  
"I'm glad I caught you, just in time huh? Oh um..yeah..I just wanted to tell you that..you see..I had a great time tonight, you guys are so cool. I can't believe what happened, that pig guy was huge, and Malak was just like *swish* *swash* and they were all over the place!" Bandon sounded excited, to say the least.  
  
"Uh huh, well thanks..I guess."  
  
"Its too bad I got shot, or I would have helped you guys out. We could have taken on that entire bar!" Bandon was getting almost too excited.  
  
"Yeah Bandon, I'm really tired…and you probably need your rest right?" Revan tried to cut the conversation short.  
  
"Oh yeah..it is a bit late..sorry about that. I just wanted to make sure you knew I didn't hold a grudge or anything, okay?"  
  
"Okay."  
  
""I'll see you around the academy tomorrow then, night!" Bandon then coolly walked away with a big strut, feeling great about himself. He got in a fight, a bar fight no less, with Revan and Malak. The coolest JedI in the academy. This was so sweet he thought. Revan turned back to the door panel and punched in a few keys, causing the door to slide open. Going inside she promptly kicked off her heavy boots and headed over to her computer desk. Loading the console back on she looked over the lines of words on the computer screen. Letting out a yawn, she started reading it. She'd been studying some of the ancient Sith history in the Jedi archives, with master Shandar's help of course. The data and holocrons were restricted to the lower padawans of the order, but Shandar made an exception, since he thought Revan was such an exceptional student.   
  
Bandon entered his room, pulling his boots off and setting them neatly in the corner by the door. Stepping over to the computer console he took a seat. Pressing a series of keys the screen flickered to life. Hello Bandon it said, as he accessed a certain file on it. Hello computer he said back, sounding cheerful in his good mood. Bandon loaded up his journal, and began typing in the various things that happened that day, from the training droid battle, to the bar fight, and to the speeder chase he was partially unconscious for.  
  
After the door shut, Malak strode over to his bed that was placed inside the wall, allowing more space inside the fairly small room most JedI were given. He practically fell into bed and was fast asleep in moments. 


	2. Episode 2

Now personally I like this chapter more than I liked the other one. I hope I get another review for this.  
  
Do people read and not review? I don't want to think that just one person read this story. I mean come on.  
  
Please read and review. It's not hard. Writing the damn story is the hard part. The least you could do is review it.  
  
*ahem* And now without further delay here is our next episode of!  
  
Revan & Malak  
  
Revan awoke again for the third time that night, looking out of her hazy eyes she saw that it was well past midnight now. Rolling over and stumbling out of bed she made her way over to the robes she had thrown about the floor. She couldn't sleep, so there was no sense trying to, she thought. She dressed herself back into her robes before leaving her room. The halls were dark and vacant, everyone in the academy must have been asleep, well, almost everybody. The sounds of her footsteps echoed throughout the long and hollow halls and corridors, as she entered the main entrance to the academy. The huge arc above the doors looked dark and foreboding from the high place on top of the double stair cases. She traveled down the curving stairs to her left, then made a left, walking down a long dimly lit hallway. Finding her way to one of the academies meditation rooms, she entered, stopping halfway in the doorway. Already in the room was a young man, his raven black locks of hair hanging down with his head that was drooped in deep meditation. He sat cross-legged, dressed in traditional Jedi robes of a rusted color of brown. Revan stood there watching him, she leaned to one side of the door with her arms crossed as she did. Minutes passed before the meditating man's head rose to meet her, his green eyes opened, gazing into her own.   
  
"Revan." He said, his voice was cool and sounded calm and content.  
  
"I though I'd find you here Jacen." She said with a smirk on her face, before coming over and sitting down next to his side.   
  
"Can't sleep again?" Jacen asked, a slight smile on his face.  
  
"Yeah, what about you?" She asked back.  
  
"I don't sleep much." He said, turning his head away from her and staring into the darkness of a corner in the room.  
  
"I had a pretty weird day, wanna hear about it?"  
  
"Sure." Revan then told Jacen of Bandon's force display in the training room all the way to the furious ranting of master Mandrak. Jacen replied in yeahs and nods, sounding mildly interested. When Revan was finished Jacen said "You say you felt…anger in him? That's odd, I never thought something like that could have come out of him…He doesn't seem like the type…"  
  
"That's what I was thinking, maybe we shouldn't be so hard on him, you know?"  
  
"I'm not the one that's been giving him a hard time, that was you and Malak."  
  
"He said we were the coolest Jedi in the academy…" Revan mumbled, which caused Jacen to let out a little chuckle. Obviously amused by Bandon's comment.  
  
"The next thing you know he'll have started a Revan and Malak fan club." Jacen joked to Revan.  
  
"I hope not, that kind of publicity could interfere with my studies." Revan and Jacen both laughed.  
  
"That's one fan club I'd join." Jacen joked yet again.  
  
"Oh shut up…" Revan told him, but Jacen only smirked. Their eyes staring at each other for a moment of silence.  
  
"Revan…something has been on mind lately…" Jacen's tone suddenly sounded serious.  
  
"What?" Revan asked, curious.  
  
"It's about…" There was a long pause in between his words. "No….never mind it. Please forget I ever mentioned it…." Jacen trailed off, staring back into the darkness again.  
  
"They say Revan, that if you stare into the abyss long enough, it stares back at you…" Jacen grimly spoke, his words like an icy chill up Revan's spine.  
  
"An ancient Sith saying…" Revan added, her voice soft.  
  
"Correct, you've been studying the Sith histories in the Jedi archives haven't you." Jacen asked, his voice back to normal.  
  
"Yes…I've been having Shandar getting me the data, it took a lot to convince him. Sometimes he can be stubborn."  
  
"But not in this case."  
  
"And just where did you learn about the Sith?"  
  
"I have my ways." Jacen replied, somewhat mysteriously. Revan practically laughed at what he said, but decided not to ask him about it any further.  
  
"I think I'm gonna go try and hit the sack again." She said while getting up and walking back over to the door.  
  
"Good night Revan." Jacen said.  
  
"Good night Jacen." Revan said back, before leaving the meditation room and heading back to the dormitories. Getting back into her room, she quickly undressed before falling back into bed, finally getting some sleep.  
  
The next morning, Revan was rudely awoken by the sound of someone banging on her door. Still in a groggy haze, she stumbled across the room to the door. Opening it, it revealed Malak. "We are needed." He said, as if she would know by who and why.  
  
"What…?" She said back, rubbing her eyes and trying to focus.  
  
"The council wishes to speak with us. Apparently its important." He answered.  
  
"Oh? Great…this is probably about last night. Okay okay, just let me get dressed." She mumbled to him before shutting the door in his face. The nerve of that guy, waking me up. Damn it, I'm still tired. She thought this as she got dressed in a new set of robes. She checked herself in the mirror, looking at her reflection. Her short bed head hair frizzy and messed up, great, just great. Trying her best to fix it all she could, it didn't help much. Best not to keep the council waiting though. She cursed a few times more before slipping on her boots and exiting her room.   
  
"Your hair…" Malak practically whispered to her.  
  
"Shut up, at least I've got some." She snapped back at him.  
  
"I'm hurt, really." He didn't sound hurt that's for sure.  
  
"Can we just go?" Revan sounded agitated.  
  
"I can't wait to hear what the council has to say about us. Hmm…I wonder what it will be this time…." Malak pondered to himself as they made their way through the academy. It was a fairly long walk to the council's main chamber, and a long elevator ride as well to the top of the tower, where it was held. As the elevator doors opened, a large set of double doors stood at the end of a long hallway. A Jedi in a heavy set of brown and tan colored robes stood at its side. Revan and Malak walked as casually as they could down the hallway, stopping near the door, they looked at the man in front of the door. "You may enter." His heavy and low voice came from his hooded face, as he stroked his hand through the air in front of the door. Causing it to slowly open inward. The two entered.  
  
Inside was a circular shaped room lined with one long window that made its way across nearly the full span of the room. The clear blue sky was bright and nearly cloudless. Lining the walls and window were various Jedi masters of several different species. They were the High Jedi Council. The highest authority of the Jedi in the galaxy. Standing near the center of the room was master Shandar, looking rather cheerful. Bandon was no where to be found. This couldn't be about last night then, Revan thought. The door closed behind them, making an ominous noise in the silence that held them all. An old human man spoke finally. "Ah, Revan and Malak, the council has been wanting to speak with you." His voice sounded calm, maybe he hadn't heard about the events of last night.  
  
"Master Rabar." Revan and Malak said and bowed in unison.  
  
"Shall I get right to business? I was speaking with your master Shandar yesterday about a little conflict on a planet near the outer rim territories. The planet is called Monasis." Rabar spoke to them.   
  
"Monasis? Isn't that not in the Republic master?" Revan asked.  
  
"Yes, and that's where the problem is. The Republic has no authority out there, but Czerka Corporation does. I'm sure you already know about the galaxy wide corporation, and its various dealings in trade…among other things. The company has a monopoly in the system of Monasis and various systems around it, allowing them to tax whatever they wish, with no threat of intervention by the standard Republic trade laws."  
  
"What does trade tax have to do with the problem?" Revan butted in.  
  
"I'm getting to that part. *ahem* Now the planetary government of Monasis isn't taking the heavy taxes on trade very kindly. In fact, they're uprising against Czerka." Rabar continued.  
  
"Uprising?" Asked Revan.  
  
"Yes uprising. Smuggling. Cutting taxes and various trade laws. There's an underground resistance on the planet Czerka can't seem to root out." Rabar told them.  
  
"How do we fit into all this master?" Revan asked yet again.  
  
"A part of the resistance on Monasis has secretly requested the Jedi to help them come to a diplomatic solution. Of course we had to accept. And this would be a perfect opportunity for promising young JedI like yourselves to test your diplomatic capabilities. With the aid of your master of course." Revan's gaze turned to master Shandar, who was standing contently with a peculiar smile on his face. Revan was suddenly getting excited, and wondered if Malak was as well. Finally a mission outside of the academy, its been such a long time.   
  
"Do you believe you are up to this task?" Rabar asked. As if he had to.  
  
"Yes!…um I mean, yes master Rabar, I think I speak for us both when I say we are ready." Said Revan.  
  
"She does." Malak added.  
  
"Good, Shandar will fill you in on any of the details. I hope you perform better than the accident you both had last night. May the force be with you." The last comment master Rabar made caused Revan to gulp. Okay, so maybe they did know. But at least they didn't sound too concerned about it.   
  
"Come with me." Shandar said to them, as he exited the already opening door out of the council chamber. Revan and Malak followed. Shandar told them on the elevator ride down to the base of the academy, that they were to meet a man named Zsar Haleif. Who apparently was the man who requested the aid of the Jedi in the first place. They were to meet him at the Delrand spaceport in the city of Carshana, he would be waiting for them, and would direct them from there.   
  
"Go and get yourselves ready, meet me in docking bay 5 once you are." They parted ways there as he headed for the docking bay and Revan and Malak back to the dormitories. Inside her room Revan changed into pitch black and gray colored robes, which fit tightly around her form. Picking out a pair of brown leather dueling gloves and a pair of rusted colored brown boots that were favored for their toughness and weight, rather than comfort. Looking around in her closet for the appropriate robes to wear over the ones she had just picked out, she chose a heavy set of brown robes with a large hood perfect for concealing ones face. The special fabric had been weaved to absorb some of the power of blaster bolts, she had the robes commissioned by an expert tailor she had the chance to meet in a cantina one night. After donning the robes, she stopped in front of the mirror once more on the way to the door. She took the time, this time, to adjust and flatten the black mess down back to the way it was before. Picking up a bag she always kept by the door just in case of a mission, which she was always hoping would happen, she left her room.  
  
She met Shandar in docking bay 5, in front of a light red painted shuttle. Red, diplomatic colors, since they were going to be on a diplomatic mission. The vessel was unarmed and it didn't look like it went that fast either. They were soon joined by Malak, who was dressed in a similar fashion to Revan, save for his black boots and gloves, and the robes he had under were a deep gray instead of both black and gray. There cloaks only differed in size, since Malak too had his robe made by the same expert tailor.  
  
"I thought you weren't coming for a moment there." Revan joked. Malak did not look amused. Shandar was dressed in the same navy blue and black robes he had on before. " Well, shall we?" Shandar asked, but before either Revan or Malak could respond, a man, no, a boy, was seen running across the docking bay towards them.  
  
"Bandon." Malak said with a grimace across his face.  
  
"What does he want now?" Revan groaned.  
  
Bandon finally reached them, taking a moment to catch his breath before speaking. "I heard you guys were going on a mission and I came as fast as I can." Bandon said, before taking a few more heavy breaths.  
  
"We're on important Jedi business Bandon, what do you want?" Revan sounded impatient.  
  
"Oh don't be such a grouch Revan. What is it Bandon?" Shandar butted in.  
  
"I am not a grouch! We just can't be delayed from our mission." Revan complained.  
  
"I just wanted to wish you guys luck on you mission, you know, see you off and stuff. I won't delay you any more that this…um…oh yeah! And may the force be with you.'" Bandon said, sounding like he was still in a great mood.  
  
"Yeah well, thanks a lot Bandon. May the force be with you too." Revan tried to sound like she actually meant it, but it sounded kind of weird to her.  
  
"We don't need luck Bandon, we have the force." Malak told Bandon.  
  
"Oh yeah right…um…sorry…I'll see you guys when you get back from your mission, bye I guess."  
  
"Come on." Shandar ordered them into the shuttle, going in through the side door that was already open. Malak heaved himself up into the ship followed by Shandar, Revan stopped inside the doorway. Turning her head to Bandon. " Try and stay out of trouble, okay?"  
  
"Okay…" Bandon sounded a little disappointed almost, like he expected them to ask him to come with them.  
  
Revan went fully inside the ship, the door shutting right behind her. Malak had pressed the door controls, standing next to her. "I knew we hadn't seen the last of him." He said, sounding like he wasn't pleased he had to see Bandon one last time before they left, and in fact he wasn't.   
  
"And it probably won't be the last time he bothers us." Revan said before making her way up to the cockpit. Dropping her bag next to the copilot seat. Shandar was sitting in one of the passenger seats behind her. Revan slouched into her seat and tried to relax. Finally, at last, they were getting off world. It seemed like its been ages since they last left Coruscant, but now, they were. Malak's towering form entered the cockpit, taking a seat in the pilots chair.   
  
"Everyone ready?" He asked Revan and Shandar  
  
"All set." Shandar cheerfully replied.  
  
"Systems a go." Revan said, flipping a few switches and pressing a few buttons, she was familiar with the craft they were in from their other trips.  
  
"Good." Malak said, relieved himself that they were leaving the planet.  
  
The shuttle lurched upwards as Malak initiated the repulsorlifts fields. Slowly turning the ship to the left, he then started forward, gaining speed quickly. They practically shot down the docking bay towards the open doors at the end. Once they had cleared the doors, Malak began making a vertical incline, while gaining more and more speed. Revan accessed the computer and began broadcasting the proper signals to allow them passage threw the planets atmosphere, without any hassles. Up and up they climbed until at last they breached the atmosphere and all manner of space stations and satellites were seen around them. Including many embarking and disembarking ships as well. They flew through space until Malak felt they were far enough.  
  
"Get us ready for hyperspace." Malak said to Revan.  
  
"Is that an order?" Revan joked back to Malak.  
  
"Just do it."  
  
"Aye aye cap'n." Revan couldn't help but chuckle a little at Malak's frown, and neither could Shandar. Revan began preparing the ship for hyperspace, making sure the course was clear to Monasis.   
  
"All set." Revan announced, and without a word Malak engaged the hyper drive and the stars all looked a lot different. Through the cock pit they could see all around them stars traveling at light speed, it was an odd display. To someone who wasn't used to it. The group however was and this was nothing new to them.   
  
Revan reclined back in her seat and swung around to face master Shandar. Malak sat on edge in front of the controls, wanting to make sure nothing was or went wrong.  
  
"So what's Monasis like master Shandar?" Revan asked her master.  
  
"Hmm from what I know its an industrial world, but not too heavily developed I believe. It was an independent colony before Czerka showed up and introduced the industry to them. Apparently the world of Monasis is rich in various minerals and metals, perfect for mining and manufacturing." Shandar explained.  
  
"Which would obviously explain Czerka's interest in the planet." Revan said.  
  
"And the high taxes." Malak commented.  
  
"Exactly. I'm not sure what this Zsar fellow wants us to do but whatever it is we are going to try and settle this dispute." Said Shandar.  
  
"I'm not sure what we can do, I don't think Czerka will just leave if we ask them nicely to. I think the only way we can stop these taxes is for Monasis to enter the Republic." Revan said, trying to think up ideas for them to work on.  
  
"If they want to enter the Republic at all." Malak said.  
  
"Given the opportunity I think they might consider it. If it gets them out of Czerka's credit pinching fist." Revan said.  
  
"Maybe." Was all Malak could say.  
  
"We'll decide what we're going to do once we get there and meet Zsar. I suggest you two relax and rest up while you can." Shandar advised them. The trip was longer than Revan was expecting. Even for an outer rim world, eventually she dozed off into a sleep. Malak sat there and continued to stare off into space, while Shandar appeared to be meditating. Startling Malak and disturbing Shandar was a blinking red light on the command console. A beeping noise also alerted of a problem.  
  
"What is it?" Shandar asked Malak, his voice stern and serious.  
  
"Something with the hyper drive, I'm taking us out." Malak said, as the ship dropped out of hyperspace. The flashing red light and now annoying beeping sound continued. Reaching over and giving Revan a stern shove on the shoulder to wake her.  
  
"Huh? What is it? Are we there already?" Revan still sounded a little sleepy.  
  
  
  
"We've got problems." Malak told her.  
  
"What kind of problems?" She asked.  
  
"Something with the hyper drive, I'm not sure." Malak said to her. Revan turned to Shandar who was as dumbfounded as she was.  
  
"When was the last time this hunka junk had a maintenance check?" Revan complained, but before Malak could think of any smart remark to add another blinking light appeared on the console.  
  
"Oh what is it now?" Shandar asked, sounding annoyed and generally agitated. Revan looked at the console and pressed a few buttons  
  
"More problems, we've got company. Three ships. Two fighters and a corvette." Revan told the other two.  
  
"Well who are they?' Shandar asked.  
  
"I don't know yet! Malak, lets find out." Revan told Malak. Malak responded by piloting the ship through open space until one of the fighters zoomed past their left at incredible speed. Barely even a blur they had no chance to see what it was. Malak turned as swiftly as he could into the right, practically filling their view was a strange and alien ship, painted with a rusted metallic paint, it looked threatening and ugly. Whether it was paint or rust they weren't sure, but what they were sure was that the blaster cannons located on the top and bottom of the ship were swiveled in their direction.  
  
"Not good." Revan said.  
  
"This should be interesting." Shandar said.  
  
"Interesting?! We're gonna get blown into galactic dust by pirates and you think its interesting?!" Revan sounded nearly hysterical.   
  
"Well I just thought it would be interesting how my students were going to get themselves out of this mess." Shandar said, like it was and excuse for what he said.   
  
"Damn it old ma-"  
  
"Revan, we're being hailed." Malak interrupted Revan's ranting. Yet another blinking light was blinking on the console. Revan pressed a series of buttons that caused the beeping to stop. Then another series of key strokes activated the commsystem  
  
"Hello…" Revan spoke, hoping to get a friendly answer.  
  
"Cut off your engines and lower your shields, or we'll blast you into galactic dust!" Revan recognized the sound of the threatening space pirate at the other side of the comm as a Trandoshan, but he wasn't speaking basic. Revan paused before speaking, thinking her words over carefully.   
  
"Um…I'm sorry I don't understand you. Can you speak basic?" Revan asked, Malak turned a worrying glance over to Revan. Malak knew Revan understood a vast number of alien languages, and Trandoshan was one of them.  
  
"You have ten seconds to comply, or we will be forced to destroy your ship!" The pirate threatened them yet again.   
  
"You see I told they were going to blow us up." Revan said , turning to Shandar.  
  
"One!"  
  
"Now what?" Malak asked.  
  
"Two!"  
  
"I don't think he's going to listen to reason." Said Revan.  
  
"Three!"  
  
"And I don't think he's going to let us escape." Revan finished her sentence.  
  
"Four!"  
  
"They obviously want to board our ship and take whatever we have. What other reason would they want us to lower our shields for?" Shandar stated.  
  
"Five!"  
  
"To make us an easier target." Malak answered.  
  
"Six!"  
  
"Malak has a point, but I think we're already an easy target." Revan said.  
  
"Seven!"   
  
"If a decision is going to be made now would be the time." Shandar told them.  
  
"Eight!"  
  
"I'm thinking!" Revan shouted.  
  
"Nine!!"  
  
"OK STOP! We'll lower our shields!" Revan yelled into the intercom.   
  
"You've made the right choice. Prepare to be boarded and we may yet spare your lives." And with that the alien cut the transmission. Malak proceeded to the lower the ships shields and cut the engines.  
  
"I hope you know what your doing." Malak said to Revan.  
  
"Once they try boarding our ship…that's when we have the advantage. More than any we could have out here. Hopefully they aren't too heavily armed." Revan said. Turning her gaze to Shandar, who looked strangely calm. " I hope your ready to fight master."  
  
"Oh don't worry about me I can take care of myself just fine." Shandar told her. Revan sat there in silence as the pirate corvette eased up aside the shuttle craft, the guns still poised at them, ready to fire and release red hot death at a moments notice. Now that they were so close they might be a little more hesitant to fire, Revan thought.   
  
The docking clamps attached to the hull of the shuttle, encompassing the door from which the Trandoshans were about to board. Malak and Shandar were on one side of the door while Revan stood on the other, the sound of the clamps attaching to the ship sounded eerie. They could hear footsteps coming from the behind the door and the voices of the pirates. Revan carefully eased her hand and pressed the door release button, opening the door. The instant the first big ugly Trandoshan entered Malak lit his blade and plunged it into the stunned aliens belly, while his other hand press up against its chest released a blast of force energy that pushed the pirate back into his ally behind him, knocking them both down. Malak quickly stepped out of the door to the second Trandoshan who was struggling to heave himself up, but he was too slow. With a quick swing of his blade the aliens head was rolling. The Trandoshan at the other side of the hall was standing in corvettes own door, surprised by this new threats he shot his blaster off at Malak. None of the bolts hit and Malak was already on the pirate before he could fire anymore, Malak pierced the scaly flesh of his neck with his saber and swung down into another unexpecting pirate to his right. Cleaving him down from shoulder to waist. Revan stepped out into the hallway, avoiding the Trandoshan corpses carefully, she made her way to the other side quickly.   
  
"I'll stay here, and make sure no one tries to get aboard!" Shandar yelled over to Revan, who nodded in return. Shandar would hold down the fort. Malak was already fighting two vibro blade wielding Trandoshans down the dimly lit sheet metal corridor. One of them took a swing at Malak, who easily parried it and proceeded to kick the alien firmly in the stomach, sending him onto his back. Turning his attention to the other of the pair, Malak parried his attacks easily and with a swift spin and a slice the Trandoshan was cut clean in two. Looking to his right he saw that Revan had just dispatched the alien that Malak had kicked by decapitation.   
  
"I was wondering when you'd be joining me." Malak joked.   
  
"Shandar is staying behind, to make sure nobody tried to take our ship. Hopefully the Trandoshans won't blast it while he's in it." Revan sounded serious.  
  
"Right, lets move." Malak said, and move they did. Running at a fast pace down the metal corridors until they were beset by a group of Trandoshans at the other end of a hall. Guns poised and ready.   
  
"Okay this is more that I thought there would be." Revan stated.  
  
"I count eight." Malak told Revan.  
  
"Four for each of us."   
  
"Let's go."  
  
Enter cheesy Matrix rip-off. Revan and Malak suddenly dashed with amazing speed to either side of the hall, their feet catching the sides of the walls as they began to run up them. The Trandoshans barely had time to figure out what these Jedi were doing before they were within striking distance. Revan swung while still running on the wall slicing an aliens head off before jumping down with a loud thud in front of the of the other three. Malak kicked off the wall and slammed his boot into the Trandoshan's jaw, cracking it and breaking it into hundreds of pieces. Revan swung upwards in an arc at the pirate before her, cutting him in two from crotch to shoulder as Malak thrusted his saber into an opposing aliens chest. The Trandoshan behind the one Revan had just cleaved in two attacked her with a thrust from his vibro blade, Revan easily dodged it, slicing back with her own attack. Malak parried the swing of another alien, knocking his blade aside, Malak swung downward, cutting through the alien's flesh with ease. The next Trandoshan in line of Revan's attack was a little more hesitant to try and test his luck. He stood there with his blade ready to parry an attack, Revan channeled the energy of the force and with a pulse of energy the alien was sent blasted back into the hall way. Malak swung with incredible speed and strength at his enemy's blade, knocking it aside with such force that it was torn away from his hands. The Trandoshan tried to run for it but before he could get far the glowing beam of a light saber was thrusted through his chest. Revan leaped down the hall at the Trandoshan on his back, coming down with her blade poised to him, and landed precisely into his neck. The Trandoshan Malak had previously kicked was struggling to rise himself, while Malak stood over him. Revan soon joined him.  
  
"It's your kill…" Revan spoke softly to Malak. Turning his blade upside down, Malak thrusted downwards into the Trandoshans back, killing him.  
  
The two made their way through the ship, it seemed that the entire crew had been sent to stop them. Eventually finding the bridge, it was abandoned. Revan turned on her commlink and drew it to her face. "Shandar?" She spoke into it.  
  
"Hmm? Yes I'm here." Shandar's voice came through clearly.  
  
"Any problems?" Revan asked. Malak was looking over the controls of the Trandoshan corvette.  
  
"No, nobody showed up. Every things clear over here, how are you?" Shandar asked.  
  
"We're just peachy master. In fact I think we're doing super fantastic." You could cut the sarcasm in Revan's voice with a light saber.  
  
"Good to know." Shandar replied.  
  
"I think I can fly this." Malak said, rather bluntly.  
  
"What did he say?" Shandar must have heard Malak.  
  
"Yes what did you say?" Revan asked as well.  
  
"You heard me, I said I can fly this ship. Everything is in Trandoshan but I can still operate it." Malak explained.  
  
"Can you detach the shuttle?" Revan asked another question.  
  
"Probably."   
  
"Get our stuff and get up here Shandar." Revan ordered to her own master.  
  
"Hijacking an alien ship…hmm…the council wouldn't approve." Shandar warned, but didn't sound very serious.  
  
"Well the council isn't here right now and our ship isn't exactly in working order." Revan tried to reason with Shandar.  
  
"Alright, I'll be there as fast as I can." With that Shandar turned his commlink off.  
  
"He'll be here as fast as he can." Revan repeated to Malak. Shandar was seen entering the bridge moments later carrying their bags. "That was fast…"   
  
"What? You think just because I'm old that I'm slow. Ha!" Shandar let out a little laugh.  
  
"Well…no…I-"   
  
"Malak, you said you can fly this ship?" Shandar interrupted Revan in mid mumbling.  
  
"I should be, just give me some time to look at these controls." As Malak finished his sentence a rumbling shook the ship.   
  
"What was that!?" Revan cried out.  
  
"The fighters!" Malak answered.   
  
"Revan, you should probably get to the guns and shoot them down if we plan on getting out of here." Shandar told Revan.  
  
Revan nodded in comply and dashed off of the bridge and through the corridors and halls of the corvette. Finding the ladder that led up to the gun turret, she nearly fell off as the ship rumbled and shook from the attack of the fighters. Getting up to the turret, she found the controls to be fairly simple. She grasped the handles of the turret, finger tips on the triggers, and gently turned the turret slowly. Looking out the clear bubble she was inside, she located one of the fighters coming in for another pass. They probably didn't know she was in there, she thought. She waited until it came closer, she carefully lined it up her sights, wanting to get the perfect shot. Squeezing the trigger tightly the cannons sprayed blaster fire at an incredible rate at the oncoming ship. Taken completely by surprise the fighter had no time to react to the threat, exploding in a dazzling display of fire and metal. One down, one to go. Revan scanned around, searching for the fighter that was now aware of a new threat. Hearing the sounds of blaster fire Revan turned to meet the sound. The fighter sped past the right of the cannon, but Revan was able to turn it, level it, and blast away at the back of the fighter. Instantly demolishing its engines and the rest of the ship. Letting out a sigh of relief, Revan quickly got down out of the turret and back into the belly of the ship. Entering the bridge she saw Malak at the helm with Shandar stooped over him.  
  
"I took care of the fighters. We should be safe now." Revan said, getting Shandar's attention.  
  
"Well done. Now Malak, can we be getting under way?" Shandar turned back to Malak.  
  
"Yes master…" Malak mumbled. As the ship lurched into the hyperspace. 


	3. Episode 3

This is the revised version of chapter three, with a little extra. The extra is actually chapter four, which was too short. So I stuck it on here. Try and enjoy.  
  
Revan & Malak  
  
The Trandoshan corvette, now under new management, flew through space in the direction of a light green colored planet. Sickly colored yellowish clouds surrounded parts of the planet. Large mountain ranges and sparse bodies of water could be seen dotting around the planet, including black blemishes on the surface that could only be its cities. The ship traveled downward into the planet at an angle, aimed for one of the larger dark splotches. The ship glowed red with intense heat as it entered the atmosphere, eventually breaking it. They entered one of the yellow clouds, vision all but obscured before passing through it. The city of Carshana could now be seen. It sat inside a truly gigantic almost circular shaped canyon, nearly filling it up with its black structures. Factories could be seen as the vast majority of buildings inside the city, each billowing pitch black smog from their many stacks. But the buildings that struck the most attention, were the spaceport, and the dam. The spaceport, which was shaped like some kind of huge dome, looked busy even from the far away position of the corvette. Ships were leaving and arriving, each exporting and importing various materials and freshly manufactured goods and metals from the many factories. The dam, which was practically inside the city itself, was the largest structure in the city, towering over any of its buildings. Rising high to the top of each side of the canyon walls, it was holding back a river. Which was now an overflowing lake that was flooding the outlying grasslands, turning them into swamps, unsuitable for building upon. It all looked troubling to Revan, the entire city was sitting on the edge of destruction, while it slowly destroyed it's own planet.   
  
The ship flew over the city, headed to the spaceport. Flying until it found an open air landing bay suitable for its size, it landed. With a huge clunk and the sounds of the landing pads creaking and grinding to support the vast weight of the ship. All was silent as a Czerka Corp. officer wearily approached the heavily armed and intimidating vessel. The docking ramp activated and it slowly lowered as he stood in front of it, not knowing what might come out. Three hooded figures stepped out, walking down the loading ramp. Their faces covered in darkness by their hoods. They stopped in front of the officer, he knew right away that they were Jedi, but what they wanted and their business in Carshana he did not know.  
  
"Greetings from Carshana master Jedis, before any business may be taken place…there is a fee for docking of a vessel this…large." The Czerka officer stumbled about with his words, trying to choose them carefully as not to anger the Jedi. He knew what happens to angry Jedi, they start wars and kill millions. "There is a docking fee of 500 credits."  
  
"500 hundred credits? What for?" Revan said, taking a few steps from Shandar's left. She removed her hood. The air smelled vile to her, it must have been the pollution she though, or the spaceport.  
  
"For maintenance fees of course. And there is an extra fee for docking larger vessels in our larger ports. You must understand, your vessel is larger than ordinary." He explained to her.  
  
"Just pay the man Revan, there's no need for a hassle." Shandar advised to her.  
  
"Fine fine." Revan fished into her pocket, pulling out a handful of credits. Separating what was 500 credits from the mess in her hand, she gave it to the Czerka officer. Who gladly grabbed it from her hand. He took a good look at them, inspecting them over.  
  
"I can't accept these." He said, rather bluntly.  
  
"What?! Why not?!" Revan said, practically screaming at the officer.  
  
"Er…well because they're Republic credits, and this isn't the Republic you should know." Said the Czerka lackey.  
  
"Yes we do know that, but why can't you accept them. Surely you could have them exchanged into whatever currency is good around these parts." Shandar said to the officer.  
  
"We would do that if anyone or any bank in this sector would accept to the exchange them at all. I'm sorry, but I cannot accept these credits from you." The officer explained to Shandar and told Revan yet again. Thoughts raced through Revan's head, we don't have any other kinds of credits with us. What are we going to do. Damn. One bad thing after another, first the Trandoshans and now these money grubbing pirates too. Suddenly as if a light bulb had appeared over Revan's head, an idea entered her mind.  
  
"You WILL accept Republic credits." Revan said, along with a wave of her hand before the officer. Shandar and Malak knew what she was doing and turned worrying glances towards her, although Shandar's was more severe.   
  
"But…they aren't good around here…I…" The Czerka officer's mind was being clouded, reason was leaving him.  
  
"Republic credits WILL do fine." Revan said again.  
  
"On second thought, Republic credits will do fine. Now, is there anything else I can do for you?" The mind trick had worked, as Revan let out a sigh of relief.   
  
"No I think that will be all, thank you." Shandar replied.  
  
"Good then, enjoy your stay on Monasis." After saying his peace the officer left the Jedi to themselves.  
  
"I don't like that you had to do that but good thinking. At least it got us out of that mess." Said Shandar to Revan.  
  
"I didn't think it was going to work for a moment there…" Revan said, sounding relieved.  
  
"Shouldn't we be finding this Zsar Haleif man so we can eventually get off this dreadful planet. The smell here is making me ill." Malak said, sounding disgusted with the planets current odor.  
  
"Yes indeed we should." Said Shandar. Revan donned her hood back on as they left the docking port. They entered a vast hallway that connected several of the various ports. The hallway was curved like a crescent from what they could see, and was busy with workers and droids loading a unloading shipments from vessels and crafts of all shapes and sizes. In front of each docking port door there was another door just as large that led to the humongous dome shaped center of the spaceport, the dome being made almost entirely out of a glass like material. Giving a nice view of the Monasis sky. The group made their way past the busy workers into the even busier spaceport center. So many sounds and noises filled they're senses, from the teaming humanoids and aliens to loud announcements made by a serenely monotone female voice over the terminals various broadcasting levels. To fit almost every sentient ear in the galaxy, that Czerka knew of.   
  
"Can anyone see Zsar?" Revan asked.  
  
"No." Malak answered, like it was a real question.  
  
"Does anyone know what he's supposed to even look like, or that he's even humanoid?" Revan asked again.  
  
"Maybe he'll know us." Malak answered yet again to Revan's questions.  
  
"I suggest that we stay here and let him find us. Rather than look for him and get lost in this place." Shandar said. He was right, it probably couldn't be to hard to get lost in this place.  
  
"Ah the Jedi at last!" They're direction of attention turned to the man who just announced they're arrival, most loudly. His most prominent feature was the large tan colored trench coat that he wore open, followed only by the set of large goggles that pushed his tussled blonde hair back. He stepped over to them with a delighted smile.  
  
" Ha ha! You are the Jedi yes?" The man spoke with a thick accent from his in badly need of a shave face. His teeth were yellowed and the rest of him hadn't looked like it had gotten in a wash for some time now. Malak looked almost repulsed under his hood but Shandar looked happy, Revan was just trying to sort everything out.  
  
"Zsar Haleif?" Was all Shandar could say.  
  
"Yes that is I. You must be the Jedi then. Indeed I am Zsar Haleif, but please do not speak that name so loudly here, there are many ears in this spaceport, and not all can be seen so easily…" Zsar said the last bit with a hushed tone. Shandar lowered his hood, and Revan and Malak followed.   
  
"I am master Shandar of the Jedi, these are my two padawans. Revan and Malak." Shandar introduced himself to Zsar and Revan and Malak as well.  
  
"A pleasure to finally meet you all." Zsar bowed to both Shandar and Malak. "And an added pleasure to meet you my dear madam." Zsar bowed especially low in front of Revan.  
  
"The pleasure is all yours I am sure." Revan said, biting Zsar's head off.  
  
"Revan! Please forgive my student Zsar. Sometimes she can be a little hot headed you know." Shandar apologized to Zsar. The steam could now be seen coming out of Revan's ears. She gritted her teeth in frustration. There is no emotion, there is peace. She repeated over and over inside her head.  
  
"Don't give it another worry, come. I will take you to my speeder, there we shall conduct business." Zsar said, before leading them on through the spaceport. Zsar seemed to know his way intimately through the winding passages and corridors. At last they made their way outside to the busy street of Carshana. Roads connecting with huge highways that were raised so far into the air that they towered above some of the smaller buildings. It all look so complex, and very overwhelming. Zsar guided them to a trashy looking speeder, Shandar sat himself in the front passenger seat while Revan and Malak sat in the back. Zsar himself sat in the pilots seat of course. Revving up the engine they kicked off into the street, the back of the speeder screeching across the ground as they sharply turned, sending sparks behind them everywhere. Going from zero to God knows what.   
  
"So what's the deal with the resistance and Czerka?" Revan asked Zsar over the noise.  
  
"The deal you say? These Czerka core rats come to my home, buy off my land, my people, and my lively hood. They ruin and pollute my beloved Monasis, and for what? Filthy credits in their pockets. I fight for the independence of my planet. Not out of hate. The Czerka call us terrorists and blame us as such. But all they care about is stripping this planet dry of all it has, then moving on to the next and the one after that. That is the deal, that is why I must fight." Zsar's voice was full of a passion Revan couldn't describe. She sat there thinking to herself, this isn't just another mission to these people. This was what they lived and died for. The resistance she thought. Now she understood the meaning of that word a little better now.  
  
The speeder zoomed in and out of traffic along the highway, the sights of Carshana could be clearly seen now. But there wasn't much to see except factory after factory. With the occasional ratty looking apartment here and there as they passed by. Off in the distance, at the center of the city, was a large building. Third only to the spaceport and the dam, it stood clean and well kept among the black and gritty buildings it was near. It must have been the Czerka headquarters.  
  
"Is that the Czerka headquarters?" Revan asked, vaguely pointing off into its direction.  
  
"Yes that is the scum den you speak of. But more on that we will speak of later, do not worry, we are getting close now." Zsar's words were true, they came off of the highway and down into the lower streets. Eventually they came in front of an abandoned looking building, Zsar parked his speeder at the curb.   
  
"This is the place. Everybody out." Zsar told to them as he disembarked from the speeder. Everyone followed in suit.  
  
"And this is…?" Malak asked, probably to Zsar.  
  
"This is the secret location of our base, you never would guessed would you? No you wouldn't have." Zsar informed Malak.  
  
"Right…" Malak trailed off, mumbling to himself. He already didn't like this Zsar guy.  
  
"Follow me." He said. And follow him they did, going inside of the apartment. It was dirty and trash was left in heaping piles in various corners, it probably was abandoned. "This way." Zsar led them down a hallway and to a broken down elevator. At the end of the hallway was a large window, Revan could see into the backyard of a families home through it. The yard was much cleaner than its surroundings and Revan could the see the home's family. Sitting outside, was the husband, the wife, the children, and the life they had managed to create in this urban hell. Revan was brought back to where she was by the sound of Zsar prying the door open with his bare hands, pushing them aside. "Get in." He said, not wanting to argue the Jedi entered the elevator, followed by Zsar.  
  
"Here is the tricky part." Zsar proclaimed, as he took an old metal key out of his coat. "Ancient technology, but we have used it to our advantage yes?" Finding the lock in the dimly lit elevator, he slid the key in. Once he turned it, the elevator rumbled, and instead of going up like it should have, it went down. Down deep. At last the elevator stopped. "This is our stop." Zsar exited he elevator, follow by Shandar, Malak, then Revan. Suddenly their surroundings had changed, what was once old and gritty was now new and slightly less gritty. The metal walls were lined with crates and boxes of all kinds, weapons and equipment most likely Revan thought. "This is our base, we try to keep it a little more clean than how Czerka keep this city. Normally I would love to give you a tour, but there are more pressing matters at hand, come this way." Zsar led them further into the base, past the durasteel doors and into the main hall. (Authors note: Just think the Hidden Bek base if you know what I mean) People looked to them with now cheerful faces, mostly likely due to the sight of the Jedi. They were led into a control room full of resistance members. " My friends, the Jedi are here." Zsar proudly introduced them to his allies.  
  
"I am mast-" Shandar tried to speak.  
  
"So the Jedi have come to save us at last." The woman who had just cut Shandar off stepped forward. "Or should say, the Republic has come to save us." Her words were filled with hate, and Revan didn't really like her tone.  
  
"Please miss Macen, we need all the help we can get. They should not be turned away so quickly." Zsar said to the woman.  
  
"It's Mayla Zsar, don't forget that. You are right though, we do need all the help we can get, especially for our next undertaking." Mayla said.  
  
"That's what we've been rather curious about. You see…we don't really know what you want us to do." Shandar said to her.   
  
"We need your…help…in getting inside the Czerka headquarters." Mayla explained.  
  
"Wait a minute, you want us to help you break into a base? That's what you requested us for? I thought this was going to be a diplomatic mission." Shandar looked rather shocked.  
  
"Zsar what did you tell the Jedi?" Mayla asked to Zsar.  
  
"I told them we needed their help, nothing beyond that." Zsar answered, innocently.  
  
"Well whatever you think you were supposed to do it doesn't matter, this is what we need you to do for us." Mayla said to the Jedi.  
  
"The JedI are not common mercenaries. We are diplomats, this is totally unacceptable." Shandar looked furious.   
  
"I thought this would happen…and I have prepared for it…the resistance of Monasis is prepared to make a donation to the Jedi of 10,000 credits…" Zsar said, Shandar looked absolutely infuriated.  
  
"Bribery?! The JedI are not guns for sale Zsar, we refuse to do this!" Shandar yelled, for the first time in a long time in Revan's recent memory.  
  
"And what do you suppose we do? Head on back to Coruscant and let these people suffer?" Revan added her own opinion. "I'm prepared to do whatever it takes to free these people, even if it does take breaking into the Czerka headquarters."  
  
"I would like to see these people free as much as you do but this is not why we are here!" Shandar continued to argue.  
  
"Czerka won't listen to reason Shandar! Look at this planet! The only way to drive them off of here is through bloodshed! But if you aren't prepared to do that, then I guess we can just go home and leave these people to die without us!" Revan practically screamed at Shandar, as the resistance members watched master and student squabble among each other.  
  
"Revan…" Shandar said, sounding almost hurt.  
  
"Revan is right master, action must be taken." Malak said, calmly, unlike Revan.  
  
"I…don't like this…not one bit…I'll do it, but you can keep your credits. We don't need it." Shandar finally agreed. Revan sighed, feeling sick with herself for getting so angry. Malak didn't look very happy either. His frown worse than usual.  
  
"Then you are going to help us?" Zsar asked.   
  
"Yes, we will help you." Shandar answered.  
  
"Good." Said Zsar. He and Mayla then described the plan to the Jedi. Apparently they were able to receive a few vital security codes from a recent hack job into the Czerka mainframe in the headquarters. Although they did not get what they sought, the Czerka master codes, they did however get those ones. The plan was for two groups to split up, one with Zsar, master Shandar, and two other resistance members. The other with Mayla, Revan, and Malak. Team one with Zsar would sneak through a secret back way they had discovered not too long ago. While team two with Mayla would break into the main doors. Zsar and Mayla each have the security codes to get past the doors and other obstacles that would be in there way. The goal apparently was to reach the Czerka mainframe computer, and to get the master codes.  
  
"What exactly are these master codes you keep talking about?" Shandar asked, sounding like he was in a better mood now.  
  
"The codes to access every single Czerka computer on the planet. If we had those codes, we could make life very, very hard for Czerka on Monasis." Mayla answered.  
  
"I see." Shandar said.  
  
"I see the interest you would have in such codes." Malak added.  
  
"Exactly, it might be the key to getting Czerka off this planet." Mayla said.  
  
"Wouldn't Czerka just change the codes after we steal them?" Revan asked.  
  
"Not if we change them first." Mayla said, laughing slightly.  
  
"The plan in itself is simple as you can see, and with the help of the Jedi it will be all the more easier." Zsar said.  
  
"Alright, everyone get ready we're moving out now." Mayla said to the other members.  
  
The team had mobilized. Zsar was piloting a speeder with Shandar to his right, while Revan and Malak were in the second speeder. Revan sat in the back with Mayla as Malak was rested in the passenger seat next to an unknown resistance member Revan had not been introduced to. It's not as if she really cared though. But then her thoughts strayed back to what she had said to Shandar. Was I really willing to fight for these people? I've only been on this planet for a few hours, maybe even less, and I'm already going off to fight for these people. They aren't even in the Republic, why should the Jedi care about what happens to this planet. Maybe Shandar was right, maybe we shouldn't get involved in this. Czerka needs to be stopped though, and these people need help. I can't just abandon them, I won't. Even if it means disobeying Shandar, and the Jedi council too. Revan thought on this as they sped through the city to the ominous Czerka headquarters in the distance. Revan turned a glance to Mayla, her face was stern and cold. She looks so intense Revan thought. I wonder how long she'd been in this "war". It was in Revan's best interest not ask Mayla though, whether it was out of fear or respect, it didn't really matter anyway. The two speeders stayed in close proximity with each other, it would have been easy to get cut off from one another. Revan felt like apologizing to Shandar for the way she acted, but it was a little too late for that right now. Unless she wanted to take the chance of yelling over the sound of the wind and other speeders to tell him how she feels. She didn't mean to get angry, it's just that Shandar can get so…frustrating sometimes. Revan's thoughts lied on the matter during the rest of the trip to the Czerka building, until they came around a corner. At the end of the street, was the Czerka Headquarters. It was basically, or at least it seemed to Revan, a giant glass box. Its mirrored windows lined across almost the entire building, giving an eerie reflection of its surroundings. Revan saw the huge Czerka Corp. symbol that was made with careful placing of orange colored glass, forming it perfectly. Czerka wasn't really known for any military might so Revan, and Malak, weren't worried about facing anything truly life threatening. But what was eating the two in the back of their minds was the thought of how the council was going to judge them. Shandar would never say Revan or Malak were bad students. Revan may be a little hot headed, and maybe a bit too quick to get involved in any conflict. And maybe Malak was a bit too overconfident, and could get too carried away when it came to more…physical confrontations. Would the order banish them, could they, had the thought even crossed their minds? If it did, would they actually consider it? These thoughts were unbecoming, and the Czerka building drew ever closer. They're was less traffic here, hardly any at all, and nearly no one was in sight walking anywhere near the glass monstrosity. Like it was some overbearing monster the people were afraid to go near, like it might suddenly swallow them up at any moment. The speeders eventually came to a stop at the building's maw. There was a circular shaped set of stone steps that elegantly made their way up to a set of glass double doors. The tinted windows only shown the outside, nothing of what was waiting within. Revan and Malak disembarked from their seats, shortly followed by Mayla. The resistance member who had been piloting the speeder wished them luck and left. It seemed that Zsar's speeder didn't stop to say goodbye, and they had already gone on to the "secret entrance".  
  
"You Jedi don't need luck right? You've go the force..hmph…" Mayla spoke, with a good amount of spite in her words.  
  
"There is no luck miss Macen, there is only the force." Revan stabbed back, just as spiteful.  
  
"We have no time to waste, standing out here in the open might not be good for our health, and our mission." Malak said, his words making clear sense to Revan.  
  
"Your friends right, we should get moving." Mayla agreed, and so did Revan. They took to the flight of steps up to the main double doors. Revan looked across them, seeing a small sign, it read: Sorry, we are closed right now. Czerka Corp. open hours twelve to five, Republic standard.  
  
"They're closed." Revan said plainly.  
  
"So it would seem, shall I do the honors Revan?" Malak asked to Revan.  
  
"Feel free." Revan replied. Mayla looked puzzled, with "what honors?" on the tip of her tongue. But before it could go any further Malak placed his palm firmly on the glass of the door, then letting out a pulse of force energy. The glass cracked and began to fall into pieces before them, now there was an open door before them.  
  
"Handy trick." Was all Mayla could say. Malak gave her a cold glance before entering through the door. Mayla entered afterwards, and Revan brought up the rear. The architecture suddenly changed, what was once sickly shades of green, yellow and black, were now vibrant colors of red, gold, and silver. Tapestries and banners hung the walls all around them, each one proudly displaying the Czerka Corp. symbol. Along the walls were pillars of something that resembled marbled, extending high to the ceiling in the extravagantly huge lobby.  
  
"Czerka spared no expense here…" Revan said in a low tone, feeling slightly overwhelmed by the lobby.  
  
"No sense waiting around here to get caught, come on." Mayla hurried the two Jedi along. The three hurried across the room over to where a few dozen elevators were located, all in working order. There didn't seem to be anyone here, the perfect time to break in. A bright red carpet was laid out before the elevators, it felt soft even through Revan's thick boots and made hardly any sound as she stomped all about them with dirty feet. Mayla pressed the "up" button on one of the nearby elevators, shortly after with a chimed ding the elevator doors slid apart. Having gone through this routine earlier today, Revan and Malak entered with Mayla right behind them. Mayla seemed to know where they were headed, as she immediately hit one of the buttons for a floor. The elevator began its ascent, climbing higher and higher. Finally stopping at one of the top floors. They stepped out, revealing yet another abandoned room. Revan wondered where everyone was.  
  
"This way…" Mayla spoke quietly. They strolled just as quietly through the halls of the headquarters, passing by doors mark with various numbers and names. Offices and rooms of all sorts pass them by. Mayla stopped outside the door at the end of the hallway. "This is it, the Czerka mainframe should be in here…" Mayla said before slowly opening the door. They entered. The room was larger than they expected, it was dimly lit and the shadows of another level that overlooked the floor they were on could be seen. Revan could barely make out some kind of overhanging balcony through the darkness.  
  
"This doesn't strike me as the place I would house a mainframe…" Revan spoke. They continued deeper into the room, slowly making there way through. Revan and Malak could sense something was wrong now. Their senses had served them well, a blinding light erupted the room, all was then visible. 


	4. Episode 4

Revan & Malak  
  
Revan's eyes adjusted quickly to the light, her vision focusing on the surrounding balconies. Standing with blasters ready were Czerka security droids, their shiny metal exteriors had all been stamped with the Czerka Corp. symbol square on their flat foreheads. It was obviously a trap, but how would Czerka have known? Revan's gaze followed along the lines of armed droids to where living men were standing amidst the automatons. Her question was immediately answered, for none other than Zsar Haleif was standing with them, a grim expression was set across his face. Malak went for his saber.  
  
"I would not do that if I were you Jedi." Zsar stepped forward, the life and enthusiasm seemed to have left his voice, now felt dry and tired, and almost filled with regret. Malak heeded his words, the odds were not in their favor. He could do little more than get himself and Revan killed, that was an idiotic risk he would never take.   
  
"Zsar!" Mayla cried out in astonishment.   
  
This was definitely not what Revan was expecting, and all that she could muster up were the words "Traitor!" Her words fell upon deaf and sold ears however.  
  
"How dare you even begin to persecute me! Do you have any idea how long I've been fighting in this war? All my life. It's hopeless Mayla, and you know it." Zsar's words were full of loathing for himself and for the war.  
  
"You bastard! How could you do this!" Mayla's composer was of rage, her knuckles had turned a pale white around the handle of her blaster.  
  
"This conflict has no end, for any of us. Only by one submitting to the other can the killing be stopped. I have made the sacrifice, and Czerka has rewarded me for it." Zsar tried to excuse himself from his actions, but Mayla would have none of it.  
  
"Credits, you betrayed us for credits?!" Mayla demanded an answer.  
  
"No! I betrayed you for the good of Monasis, for our people. You don't understand, the Czerka only want peace with us, and I will be the first."   
  
"Czerka only wants to strip this planet bare! You said it yourself! You've said it for as long as I can remember! Don't do this Zsar!" Mayla pleaded with him.  
  
"I have no choice, I cannot go back…but Mayla, you still have time. Just surrender like I did and Czerka may show you the mercy they showed me. Please don't resist." Zsar asked of her.  
  
"I will never betray the resistance. Never." Mayla's words were as cold as her face.  
  
The thought had been playing with Revan's mind and she had to ask "Where is Shandar!?" She asked.  
  
"The old man? He managed to escape before…the other trap. Don't worry, he'll soon be joining you, eventually." Zsar's words were soon followed by the sound of hissing, the hissing of gas entering the room. Revan's vision suddenly went blurry and before she could struggle to regain her balance, she collapsed.   
  
Revan awoke, or at least she thought she did, on dusty ground rather than the carpet she had fell on. The sandy dust was a brownish yellow and stirred into little clouds as she rose. She felt dizzy, and her vision swayed before her. Barely keeping her balance she looked around her. Before her, was a set of imposing black gates, rising into the air into wicked and jagged spikes. They weren't terribly large by any standard and they looked ancient and rusted, but the black was still ever present on its surface. She could see through the gate, past them was a long trail that lead through a mountain pass. Two peaks rose on each side of the pass, and a mountain chain continued on each side for miles into the yellow gloom. A fog began to roll in, yellow, like the smog back on Monasis. She stumbled forward, her vision and balance still off the wire. Her hands slowly reached to the gate, as if time had just slowed to a crawl. Closer and closer before the sound of a vicious crack of lighting slammed her senses and she awoke.  
  
"She's awake…" "Is she alright?" I don't know, why don't you ask her?" "Why don't you stuff it Jedi boy?" Revan awoke, again, on a hard and uncomfortable cot in a fairly small room. Actually it was more like a cell, there was a barred door and window, with a pale light shining through onto the floor. Malak was sitting across from her, while Mayla was leaning on a side of a wall next to the window. "Where am I…?" Revan sat up, scratching the back of her groggy head.  
  
"A Czerka prison, from what I can tell. We haven't exactly been up for very long to figure anything other than that out…" Malak answered her.  
  
"We do know that there isn't any way to get out of here, me and your Jedi buddy here tried everything we could think of." Mayla added.  
  
"I'm not sure why Czerka hasn't just had us executed. Maybe Zsar is still a little sympathetic." Malak sneered over at Mayla.  
  
"That traitorous son of a bitch probably has other plans for us. He did stop by for a visit when you were conked out however." Mayla said, giving Malak a dirty look of her own. "Apparently Czerka has a plan to wipe us all out, for good."   
  
"And just how are they going to do that…?" Revan inquired.  
  
"They plan on using the dam…something about overloading the hydroelectric power generators…Zsar didn't mention any details, he did say he was very sorry about it. He must not have had a choice…" Said Malak.  
  
"Not with a Czerka blaster pointed to his head." Mayla said.  
  
"So the Czerka knows the resistance is based in Carshana now?" Asked Revan.  
  
"Zsar probably spilled the beans when he went turn coat…" Mayla muttered.  
  
"Does anyone have any new ideas on how we're going to be getting out of here?" Malak asked.  
  
"I don't know…" Revan barely spoke at an audible level.  
  
"What's wrong…?" Malak's expression turned to worry.  
  
"Yeah, you don't look right. Maybe that gas got to you worse than us." Mayla also looked concerned.   
  
"That must be it…it's nothing, I'll be fine." Revan brushed aside their fretting, the dream still fresh in her mind. But this wasn't the time to think about that, they had to get out of this mess. She sat with her back resting against the wall, her head ached and she didn't know why. Minutes passed in the dreaded silence, a looming doom now pressed on them. Would they wait to die when the Czerka destroy Carshana, it seemed to be the only option. Revan nearly dozed off before hearing the faint sounds of blaster fire. Thinking it to be only a play of her imagination she ignored it. She was just tired, and the echoes of battle were reaching her. But the sounds grew louder.  
  
"Do you hear that?" When Malak spoke Revan knew it wasn't just her.  
  
"Yeah." Revan replied. The noises grew closer and more intense, until it sounded as if they were coming from just down the hall. And indeed they were, blaster shots ringed down the cellblock hallway. Not only could the sounds of blaster shots be heard now, but also the swinging of a light saber. Then all was silent except for the shallow beats of footsteps making their way down the hall. Malak arose from his seat, taking a place at the cells edge. Looking down the cellblock, he could see a cloaked figure emerge from the smoky mist.   
  
"Your late!" Malak yelled down toward the cloaked figure. He drew nearer before letting down his hood.  
  
"I took my time, I didn't have to come here to the rescue you know." Shandar joked, or not, while standing on the other side of the cell the three inmates were inside. "I thought about heading back to Coruscant to seek the guide of the council whether to release you or request for aid. I decided it was in my best interest to just do it myself. And besides, when do you two ever let me do anything fun?"  
  
  
  
"Not nearly as often as we should." Revan stood up off of her cot. "Now can you get us out of here please…master?"  
  
"Yes of course, just cool your hyper drive there…" Shandar took from inside his robes a set of old looking metal keys, more ancient technology. Finding the lock, and the appropriate key, he unlocked the cell. Kindly opening the door for them as well. They quickly hurried out, now that they were free they needed to decide what to do. "So then, what next?" Shandar's demeanor was as calm and cool as ever.  
  
"We need to get to the dam." Revan said, Shandar looked confused.  
  
"The dam, why?" He asked.  
  
"Czerka plans on blowing the thing up to wipe out the resistance in Carshana. If we don't get there to stop it the whole city will be demolished." Revan explained to him.  
  
"Destroy the city? That's quite a risk…" Shandar said.  
  
"Hello? We need to get moving now. Czerka isn't going to wait for us to show up." Mayla butted in.  
  
"Miss Mayla is right, if what you say is true then action must be swift." Said Shandar.  
  
"Alright, me and Malak will head to the dam and to try and stop them. You and Shandar will head back to the ship." Revan issued out the orders.  
  
"Just the two of you? I feel that I should accompany you, it may be more dangerous than you think." Shandar advised.  
  
"The docking bay might be even worse, if they're on the look out for us. Someone has to secure the ship and the only person who can do it alone is you master." Malak said to try and convince his master to listen to Revan's orders.  
  
"Why does it always seem like you two convince me into things…if the council knew…" Shandar mumbled off, but it was his way of agreeing.  
  
"We don't have time for this lets go!" Mayla sounded even more annoyed with the stalling Jedi. Feeling they had wasted enough time them hurried on. Shandar backtracked his way through the carnage he had made. Shattered and demolished droids littered the hallways by the dozens. Crushed, slashed, fried, they came in all manner of ways. Revan was suddenly reminded of the power of this old man as he led them through the winding hallways and corridors of the Czerka prison. They're were no Czerka officer bodies among the slaughter Shandar had let loose. They must have all evacuated, they had less time than they thought. Finally they passed by the abandoned attendants desk and to the front doors. Exiting out the doors onto steps that were designed similarly to the Czerka HQ. There were speeders conveniently parked outside on the curb of the street before them. They were going to steal a few poor fool's speeders. Revan and Malak hopped into one as Shandar and Mayla stole one for themselves. Each one soon took off in opposite directions, one was headed to the dam, the other to the spaceport. They had planned on for Shandar to secure the ship and to wait for Revan and Malak. If they were too late however, Shandar would have to take off.   
  
This place is like a ghost town Revan thought as they flew through the nearly abandoned city. Either they just missed rush hour or everyone works for Czerka. Which would have made sense. Evacuating only Czerka personnel rather than everyone, maybe it would have raised some suspicion among the resistance. Or maybe the Czerka are just a bunch of cruel bastards. Malak was obviously ignoring the speed limit if there was any at all. The time was ticking away, there none left to escape. Revan could see the looming dam in the distance, easy enough to find and the way to it seemed clear enough. They passed under the great shadow that it castted across the city, the planets star was setting in the east now and the evening sky was fading. There was a turnoff on the highway labeled Carshana Hydro Electric Plant, that was probably it. Malak guided the speeder to the turnoff, the road taking a decline down. The road seemed to distance itself from the center metropolitan area quickly and into a clearing the surrounded the dam. There was no grass, only dirt and rubble, maybe from when this canyon was a lake. Not far from where the road ended there was a little durasteel door placed in the corner of dam. Coming to a neck breaking halt at the dead end, Revan and Malak hasted quickly to the door, with a blast of force energy the door was thrown inwards crashing into the room it had sealed. Revan and Malak entered with sabers drawn, finding a smashed security droid laying underneath the door. Two other droids stood contemplating how and why they were under attack by the Jedi, but had little time to begin theorizing before they promptly cut down by their assailants.   
  
Zsar Haleif stood in the control room on the very top of the highest point on the dam. In the middle of the walkway that overlooked all of Carshana stood the relatively small control booth, set branched outward over the lake. Making the last preparations for the overload Zsar's work was finished. Now all he had to do was wait for it to end. He thought of taking his own life right there and then, a blaster shot to head, but decided better of it. He was going to die anyways. Shots were heard and Zsar instantly looked to the right window. From it he could see two figures and two glowing lights, blue and yellow. Red flashes of laser blasts traveled down to the figures but seemed to bounce from them. The two lights drew ever closer, and Haleif drew his pistol.   
  
Revan parried a bolt, sending it flying out into the Carshana twighlight as she and Malak ran as fast as they could across the dam. Barely stopping to cut asunder security droids as they passed them by. Revan's guess was right, there was a control booth on the top. Malak said that'd be the last place they'd put it, but with all the automated technology inside the dam they probably only needed one control panel. And it gave such a nice view of Carshana and the lake from up here. Closer they came until from out of the booth's window a grenade was lobbed, headed for them. Malak, with a hand outstretched pushed the grenade away with the force, sending it into the lake with a splash. Whoever threw it made no attempts to further their attack. All was silent except the gentle splashing of the nearby lake on the dam. Revan and Malak wasted no further time and quickly dashed to the booth. Revan slammed her foot firmly on the door causing it to open violently with a crash. Zsar stood at one of the consoles, a blaster in hand. JedI reflexes taking over, Revan snatched the blaster away with a pull. Landing it in her hand instead. Zsar's expression turned from determination to disbelief. He took a step back. Revan took a step forward.  
  
"It's already done, there's nothing you can do. Your too late." Zsar stood his ground, firmly in the belief that what he was doing was right. Revan stepped up to him, blaster in hand.   
  
"Zsar…we can either to this the nice way or the blaster to your double crossing shit filled head way." Malak knew what was coming, Revan could get angry like this.   
  
"And kill me? I'm already going to die, and you with me." Zsar seemed un-phased by Revan's threat. A swift kick to his more sensitive area sent him cringing to his knees. Followed up by another kick with Revan's steel toed boot. Blood spat into the air, and Revan wondered if she accidentally broke his jaw. She tampered with power settings on the blaster to low, low enough so the blast wouldn't kill. Only scorch the flesh. Lining the gun to the floor where Zsar now lay.  
  
"I can make your last moments very…very painful." Revan threatened him again.  
  
Zsar spat the blood from his mouth before speaking. " I did not think the JedI would use torture…even to "save" lives…" Zsar spat his blood again, this time before Revan. She'd had enough, aiming the pistol to Zsar's leg. She squeezed the trigger gently, a blast pulsed out and burnt his leg making him cry out in agony. Shooting several more times in the same spot before Haleif was convulsing in agony. Malak turned his gaze away from the sight, he didn't like this but telling Revan it was enough was a bad idea. The smell of burnt flesh quickly filled the room. The shots Revan fired had burnt they're way through Zsar's tender flesh right down to the bone, which was clearly visible. Zsar finally caught his breath enough to speak. "My pain is nothing…you cannot stop the dam…"  
  
"No your right I can't, but you can. Shut the generators off Zsar and I'll be merciful. Just like the Czerka" Revan bargained with him.  
  
"Never! What has been set in motion cannot be stopped…even if I wanted to…" Zsar replied, still in great pain from his leg.   
  
"Your lying! There has to be a way stop it!" Revan said.  
  
"Ha ha! You'll see…in a few moment that I am indeed correct…Jedi…" 


	5. Episode 5

In response to Lenora: I have played the game many many times.  
  
Revan & Malak  
  
Shandar and Mayla arrived at the spaceport, unsurprisingly still busy as always. Every civilian and merchant was completely oblivious to their impending doom. Another thing Shandar had expected was the entire absence of any Czerka officers or workers, which might have seemed suspicious to those who had no idea why. Warning them would have been impossible, they would only think of him as some crazy old cook who had escaped from the Carshana mental institute. And any hope of evacuating this many people, not to mention all the other people in the city, was slim to nil. However, no Czerka thugs looking out to stop him from taking back the ship made things a lot easier than it could have been. He'd already exerted himself far enough that day, and his back hurt. Shandar attempted to find his way to the docking bay which housed his ill gotten vessel, but he soon became hopelessly lost. Surrounded by humans and aliens, overwhelmed by the shear size of the place, and Mayla was giving him an earful for it.  
  
"We're lost!" Mayla exclaimed. Throwing her hands into the air as if giving up.  
  
"We are not lost…I just haven't found my way…" Shandar knew it, he was lost. He had to politely insist no thank you to a spaceport vendor who was desperately trying to sell some sort of squid like alien fresh from a tank. Sad and disappointed the vendor turned solemnly away from him. Shandar felt that he had cut the alien sales clerk a deep wound. Mayla was currently looking around through the crowd on the tips of toes. Shandar gained the attention of the alien once more, the vendor's face instantly went from disappointed to enthusiastic. "Um yes excuse me but, could you tell me where docking port C-17 is?" Shandar hoped for an answer for the vendor he just turned down.  
  
"You buy squskili?" The alien asked in his poor basic, holding up the disgusting looking creature to Shandar.  
  
"If you'll tell me where port C-17 is…yes" Shandar agreed, and the vendor looked pleased. He exchanged 25 credits for the squskili. The vendor then gave him a few crude directions but Shandar basically understood what he had told him. The vendor asked if Shandar wanted anymore but politely refused. The alien simply gave him a, your loss look and turned back to his little shop. Now holding the most sickening and foul smelling thing he had ever touched he wondered, what are you supposed to do with this thing? Mayla found him holding the creature out.  
  
"Did you buy that?" She asked, with a slim little grin on her face.  
  
"I had to." That was Shandar's only excuse. Now he didn't know what to do with it.  
  
"Are you gonna eat it?" Mayla asked, sounding serious.  
  
"Eat it…?" Shandar was confused. Why would anyone in their right state of mind want to consume this thing? "Eh…no…"  
  
"Then give it here." Mayla grasped the squid from his hand. Promptly ripping one of the creatures tentacles from its body, she bit part of the slimy appendage off into her mouth. The sight made Shandar weak in the knees, and the sound of the tentacle squishing and crunching inside of her mouth was audible among the busy port. Shandar suddenly felt very ill. "It's good. You sure you don't want some?" Mayla handed it out to Shandar as she took another chomp from the tentacle.  
  
"No thank you…I think we've wasted enough time here already. I inquired about some directions and I believe I know where to go now…" Shandar's face had gone pale as he watched miss Macen devour the squskili. This must be something native to Monasis he thought.  
  
"We better get going then." Mayla replied, and Shandar agreed. Shandar led the way again, this time with a sense of direction. Until at last the familiar looking entrance to port C-17 was visible. Making their way to the ship, they found it to be intact and under to guard whatsoever.   
  
"This is your ship? Doesn't seem like a diplomatic kinda vessel to me, or anything a Jedi would fly in." Mayla said to Shandar.  
  
"It's a long story." Was all Shandar could say at the moment. Mayla still appeared to have the squid.   
  
"Well we don't have time for it now then. Let's get inside."   
  
"Your gonna be in a lot more trouble if you don't turn this thing off now!" Revan screamed with rage at Zsar's crippled form on the floor. She was angry, thousands, maybe millions of people were going to die unless they stop this dam.  
  
"You couldn't make me if you tried Jedi, this dam will crack and flood the city and end this war once and for all. And there is nothing you can do to stop it!" Zsar mocked her. Shooting him didn't seem to change his mind at all, it only made him more bold.   
  
"Zsar think about what your doing, your going to kill millions of people! Stop this now before it's too late!" Revan said to him.  
  
"A necessary loss." Zsar said as if all those live meant nothing to him. This man is made of stone Revan thought. "Time's running out Jedi…only a few more moments…until the oblivion of Carshana…and the end…" He's flipped thought Revan.  
  
"I suppose there's no reasoning with you Zsar, your just as bad as the Czerka." Revan practically snarled at him.  
  
"Is that supposed to make me feel guilty? I am beyond that, as I am beyond pain. There is nothing you could do to change my mind… and besides…I already told you that it cannot be stopped…." Zsar mocked Revan yet again. Her blood was boiling now. Beads of sweat were forming on Malak's brow. Revan went to her blaster, turning the power up to its maximum, it was quite lethal now. She pointed it square between Zsar's eyes with the intent to kill. Zsar's face changed from its confident nature. He was staring death right down the barrel now, not off in the distance, not like the dam.  
  
"What's it gonna be now Zsar?" Revan said to him, her finger rubbing the trigger gently ready to squeeze. Before Zsar could answer though, they all felt a rumbling beneath their feet. It was happening, they were too late.  
  
"Ha ha! Now it is all over! Everything is over!" Zsar screamed like a mad man.   
  
"Not if I have to say anything about it, we're getting out of here and your coming with us. Malak help me get Zsar quick!" Revan said to Malak. Who followed the orders without a word. Zsar attempted to resist them, but found himself to be very weak against the Jedi at the moment. Grabbing Zsar and getting out of the booth as fast as possible. The two Jedi carried Zsar upon their shoulders as the sprinted across the creaking and cracking dam. Dashing as fast as their legs could carry them they made their way across, and onto the rocky soil of the canyons old cliff side. Getting as far away as possible before setting Zsar down. Revan turned, and what she saw she would remember for the rest of her dark days. The dam exploded, sending huge pieces and chunks outward. Closely followed by an enormous gush of white water that plowed its way into the city. Crashing into the buildings with such a powerful force that the wall of water literally swallowed up anything in its path. Huge buildings of equal size were toppled over when the water met them. Some stood up to the wave, the Czerka building stood its ground against the oncoming force. Water splashed against its surface, finding its way around it before it became an a island in the sea of white. Revan's eyes turned to the spaceport, and could see one ship departing. Although she couldn't clearly tell what the ship looked like from the distance. While her gaze was averted the force of nature collided with Carshana space port. The following destruction was on a grand toll, and Revan could only wonder what the horror was like inside. "No…" Revan uttered with a great feeling of loss and sadness. Malak sat down on the rocky ground, tried not to look. Revan turned, and met with a smiling Zsar. "YOU BASTARD!!" Revan cried as she kicked Zsar in the jaw once again, blood splattered across the dirt.   
  
"Revan!" Malak practically yelled at her. Standing up to meet her. "What's done is done…and killing him won't make it any different…" Malak's words made sense in Revan's enraged self. Zsar spat and coughed on the ground before them. "We failed, but at least we're alive."   
  
"We should have left you on the dam." Revan told to Zsar. He said nothing in return, averting his gaze at Revan's hateful eyes. "We probably should kill you, the galaxy could use one less slime eating scum ridden traitor, but we won't…yet…"  
  
"Revan…" Malak spoke lightly, trying to calm her.  
  
"Why don't we just throw him right off the cliff now!? Save us the trouble of him backstabbing one of us in the future!" Revan proclaimed.  
  
"Because that's not what the Jedi should do…" Malak said, and Revan remembered. She was a Jedi, and should be above such things. All life is sacred, even Zsar's. Revan looked on him with pity. His broken body lay on the ground, the white of his bone made Revan wince. She had done that, and now she regretted it. If they let him live, maybe Shandar would find out she nearly tortured Zsar. And then the council would know. Then she could be banished, or worse. She couldn't let that happen. Pulling out the blaster she tucked inside her robes, she looked at it in her hand.  
  
"I can't let him live Malak." Revan said.  
  
"Why?" Malak protested.  
  
"Because the council might find out what happened. I could be banished from the order…and so could you…" Revan answered him. Malak's had the realization as well now. The order was his life. His purpose. He had no other place. "You understand don't you? I have to do it. We have to do it."  
  
There was a pause before Malak spoke. "Do it then…I won't stop you…" Malak backed away.   
  
"Good…" Revan stepped forward in front of Zsar. Zsar looked up to her, his chin now cover in blood. His eyes were filled with tears. Revan leveled the blaster to his head and shot without a second thought. The bolt hit him dead center between the eyes, the energy splashing across his face and piercing his skull. His skull instantly cracked on contact, splitting in two from the force. The bolt of energy sizzled to a halt as it fried his brain into a crisp, along with the rest of his face. His nose had been burnt to cinders, and his eyes had both popped from the heat. Leaving a gooey white in his sockets where both pieces of his head were. Revan threw the blaster aside and turned to Malak. "Now they'll never know…come on…lets separate ourselves from this mess…"   
  
Revan and Malak traveled across the dirt and rocks until it turned to dirt, grass, and mud. The land ahead of them was wet and swampy. Due to the overflowing of the Carshana lake. Revan found it was difficult to walk in the hard way, nearly loosing her boot and the rest of her leg into the mud. Bad karma she thought. Little patches of green and yellow colored grass dotted the landscape of the swampy plains that seemed to stretch on for miles. There was not a visible way across.   
  
"Now what?' Malak looked over to Revan, expecting some light bulb to appear over her head as she thought of another brilliant scheme to get them out of a fix.  
  
"Yeah sure, we sit here until we sprout wings so we can fly across the swamp! I don't know! Have you got anything better?" Revan was irritated. This wasn't her day.  
  
"Nothing better than waiting to evolve wings…" Malak replied dryly, not amused by Revan's comment.  
  
"This bites…" Revan muttered to herself as she overlooked the swamp. We either risk it out there or stay put. She didn't know if Shandar was looking for them or if had left them for day on the planet when the dam exploded. The dam Revan thought, and all those people too. All dead. All because of Zsar and that damned Czerka. But he's dead now, you don't have to worry about him. You and Malak are safe. You and Malak…  
  
Revan turned her eyes over to Malak, who was also staring at across the plains. "I'm sorry…that I had to kill him…" Revan spoke her words gently. Malak heard her, returning her gaze.  
  
"You had no choice…for both our sakes…it was him or us…" Malak said to her, he sounded less grumpier than usual. He must be under the same stress she was. Malak's eyes looked over Revan, and was reminded of what a woman she was. She looked good by any standards, her nice lean and curved figure was appealing to the eye, and her eyes, those deep gray eyes. It was like looking into her soul. She had been his friend for so long, and it was moments like this that made him want more.  
  
"I'm glad you understand…" Revan may have noticed Malak's eyes trailing across her body, but she made no intention of telling him. Malak sat down once again on the dirt. Revan decided to as well, her feet felt like they were ablaze. There was a long silence between the two until Revan spoke up. "I guess we stay here then…hopefully Shandar hasn't abandoned us. He might come back looking."  
  
"If he knows how to fly the ship." Malak replied.  
  
"He's got Mayla." Revan said.  
  
"Shouldn't it be the other way around? He isn't that helpless." Malak joked and they both laughed.  
  
"When we get back to Coruscant we are definitely having that drink we missed." Said Revan, trying to lighten the dreary mood.  
  
"Should we take Bandon again? Or do you think he's bad luck?" Malak asked Revan for another laugh.  
  
"Hell, I'd take Shandar, and Mandrak, and whole council with me I don't care…just as long as I got at least one…." Malak chuckled quietly to himself. Sometimes he could truly appreciate Revan's carefree emotions. How she lets her passions flow freely sometimes. He envied that. And he enjoyed following Revan into whatever she led him into. He wishes his own passions could be let out so freely. Sometimes, they do…sometimes they do to impress Revan. Hoping that maybe she'd take notice of his power. He would fight a war to impress her, to just get her to notice the power he has flowing through his veins, coursing through every fiber of his body he could feel it when he fought. He should have killed Zsar for her.  
  
"It's getting dark…" Revan pointed out to Malak, breaking his deep line of thought. Indeed she was true, the Monasis star was finally setting, and darkness was creeping over the horizon. "It's gonna get cold…"  
  
"Yeah…" Malak muttered in agreement under his breath. Night soon arrived, and a near pitch black darkness spread over Monasis. It grew cold quickly and Revan found herself shivering. Malak noticed. "Cold enough for ya?" He joked, but was actually concerned.  
  
"Ha ha, very funny…yes I am cold…" Revan didn't find it very funny at all. Malak picked himself off the ground and removed the robes heavy robes he had been wearing over his other robes.  
  
"Here take mine." He said to her.  
  
"What? You'll freeze, and I don't need them." Revan protested, more worried about her friends health than her warmth.  
  
"You'll freeze before I do, just take them." Malak insisted.  
  
"Fine fine if you won't listen to reason, freeze to death then. At least I'll be warmer." Revan gave in.  
  
"Your welcome…" Malak said as he stepped over and carefully placed his robes over Revan's shoulders. His hands fell upon her slender shoulders as he straightened them out, just to be perfect. If he touched her any longer she'd kill him, he got back up and sat back down. Slightly closer to Revan now. 


	6. Episode 6

Revan and Malak  
  
The Monasis sun glared over the horizon as it rose to meet the morning sky, spreading its light across the vast Carshana plains. Light swept over the plains and finally over two small figures huddled near each other. A great ship flew over them, its engines like two burning stars coasted it through the morning air. Soon it began to circle the two figures on the ground before choosing an appropriate landing spot. The ship's landing gears met the soggy ground, pushing up mud and earth from its vast weight. Vapors and other such gases hissed out in some unknown mechanical procedure. Revan stood up, tossing aside the spare robe Malak had gifted to her right onto his face. This awakened him, finding out soon why he had been disturbed so rudely. Not far from them was the Trandoshan ship. The Monasis star gleamed across its surface causing it to shine brightly. It didn't look so bad, at least not from her point of view Revan thought. After brushing some dirt off and applying their robes in the correct positions they set off for it, rather quickly. Both of them nearing a jog as they drew closer. The boarding ramp lowered and out stepped Shandar before Revan and Malak, who had just arrived. He looked upon then with a sly grin across his face as they caught their breath from the run. Shandar took a deep breath before speaking." If you were wondering…we couldn't search for you during the night…it was too dark."   
  
"And cold, but I guess that didn't matter to you. Don't worry master, we never lost faith in you. In fact, we were expecting you to show up this morning. You just caught us unprepared that's all." Revan said, standing in front of the boarding ramp before Shandar.  
  
"Master…we are sorry…we failed. We could not stop the dam from being destroyed…" Malak bowed his head in some kind of shame. He was already apologizing.  
  
"Please, do come inside…and we'll discuss this all soon don't worry." Shandar's voice hung low. The Jedi entered into the belly of the ship, the ramp closing behind them. Malak felt almost embarrassed for what he said, Shandar was neither angry nor showed any sign of concern of their failure yet. Most of the other masters would have debriefed the two padawans outside the ship for hours.   
  
Revan spoke up as they moved throughout the ship with Shandar as their guide. "Zsar couldn't be reasoned with master, and he attacked us. There was no way to shut off the dam without him…and we had to defend ourselves against him. There was nothing we could do master."  
  
"He is dead then? Hmm…I would imagine so. He was not with you of course…" Shandar trailed off into thought. Eventually the crew arrived at the bridge, where Mayla was stooped over the helm. Her face concealed by her hair. Revan suddenly realized the loss she had just taken. All those people, her people, were dead. Was it her fault, would she blame us? Mayla's head turned to meet them.   
  
"Oh…it's the Jedi…good thing we found you…" Mayla didn't sound that excited at all. "Sorry about the wait…" She detached herself from her seat and strolled past the Jedi. Revan could see her eyes were red, red from crying. Her eyes boring deep into her own as she passed by off of the bridge.  
  
Revan waited until she was out of earshot. "Did she take it hard?" What a stupid question she thought, why bother asking.  
  
"Sadly yes…we just managed to escape alive ourselves. But…we are alive. All of us, and that's what matters. She will come to terms with her grief…eventually. We have more pressing matters however. We must decide our next course of action." Shandar spoke to them, getting down to business. "Leaving Monasis would probably be a good idea, before the Czerka come looking for us in numbers."   
  
"Yeah your right…there isn't really anything left that we can do here. The resistance is gone, so that means our employers are gone. We can't do anything outside our mandate here now. We're in enough trouble already." Revan said to her two accomplices.  
  
"What about Mayla? Should we just drop her off at the nearest spaceport?" Malak added.  
  
"Do we have any other choice? I mean…she can't come with us can she?" Revan said back to Malak.  
  
"Either choice is difficult and unadvisable. Mayla is a wanted criminal on Monasis you know. The Czerka would no doubt have her captured within hours if we left her here." Shandar's words were true. Mayla was a wanted "terrorist" and the Czerka were looking for her.  
  
"Then there's no other choice! We can't abandon her here. She'll just come with us back to Coruscant." Revan sure as hell didn't want her to get captured, again.  
  
"And then what? She'll stay at the academy?" Malak argued.  
  
"It's up to her what she wants to do, we can't force her to do anything." Revan stated.  
  
"Revan is right. It is up to Mayla about where she will go…Revan, go and speak with her before we take off. We must be sure of our destination." Shandar ordered to Revan. Oh great she thought, why me? She was definitely not looking forward to the encounter that was inevitable but now she had to ask her about touchy subjects. If there's one thing Revan's learned in her life it's not to start asking people in grief questions. Especially ones that involve the cause of their grief. Revan trotted off into the ship, wondering where Mayla had gone. The ship was fairly big, and she went through many halls and rooms before finally finding the mess hall. Mayla sat at a large table in the center of the room, where the kitchen was also located behind a counter. Her black hair shrouding her face once again.  
  
"Mayla…we need to know something." Revan spoke up to her, she nodded her head in response. "Um…is there any place you'd like us to drop you off or…something…because we have to be getting back to the academy now…since our work here is finished…" Revan never was good with words when she needed to be.  
  
"Your work here is finished? What do you mean by that? That you actually accomplished something here?" Mayla's gaze turned to Revan, her eyes nearly filled with tears. This was exactly what Revan did not want to happen, but Mayla had been waiting for the opportunity to yell at someone. "You failed didn't you? You were too slow weren't you? You killed Zsar didn't you?!" Mayla practically screamed with rage at Revan as she got up from her seat.   
  
"There was nothing we could do…we had to. I can't make any other excuses for you Mayla. We tried and we failed." Revan said to her, standing her ground firmly.  
  
"I thought you Jedi were supposed to be prime negotiators! Why couldn't you stop it?! Why?!" Mayla only grew more enraged with Revan's excuse.  
  
"Zsar was insane Mayla! He wouldn't listen to us! There was nothing we could do but defend ourselves from him. We didn't want this to end in bloodshed. Not in death." Revan's lie stung her, she knew why she killed Zsar.   
  
"He's dead, they're all dead! Everyone I've ever known! They're all dead now…" Mayla sobbed as she screamed.  
  
"If you want to blame something blame the Czerka! Blame Zsar! Just don't blame us, we tried to stop them. We may have been too slow…or didn't see the right answer but we still tried to save those people." Revan headed back to the door before turning around to the sobbing Mayla." Don't you dare cry for him."  
  
Revan arrived back on the bridge where Malak and Shandar sat waiting for her return. Revan took a seat near them, sinking down into her chair while sighing deeply.  
  
"Well? What did she say?" Shandar asked inquisitively.  
  
"She hasn't decided yet…" Revan grumbled, in a bad mood now.  
  
"That bad was it?" Malak chuckled to himself as Revan shot him a dirty look.  
  
"Does anyone on Monasis know the saying: don't shoot the messenger. We can kick her off now or dump her out in orbit…" Revan said.  
  
"Revan! Mayla will inform us of her plans when she is ready. And besides, we're in no immediate hurry." Shandar nearly scolded Revan for her comment. Minutes that felt like hours passed as the Jedi waited on the bridge, or at least it felt that way to the padawans. Both expecting a Czerka cruiser to drop out of orbit and bomb them into oblivion any second now. At last, Mayla appeared in the door way, looking still slightly mad but in a better mood. They all turned their attention to her.  
  
"I've decided…to come with you…" Mayla said to them.  
  
"Come with us?" Shandar must have needed some conformation.  
  
"There's nothing left for me here…Carshana is gone, the resistance is dead, everything is just…over. The Czerka won the battle here but the war isn't over. Don't think I'm giving up just because I'm leaving Monasis." Mayla confirmed it for Shandar's old ears.  
  
"Don't worry about that…" Revan mumbled.  
  
"Then it's settled. She comes with us. Malak, now would be an excellent time to get us off this planet." Shandar sounded pleased. Malak was already at the helm, and began punching several buttons and flipping a series of switches.   
  
Coruscant looked the same, as expected. Revan could see the gleaming gem at the center of the universe clearly now from the bridge. Revan remembered the best part of going off world, to her it was coming home. Leaving every once and a while is necessary, because every time you come back it feels almost fresh. Almost reborn. That way you can truly appreciate where your from, all you have to do is leave it for a while. Revan slouched comfortably into her seat, looking over to Shandar she spoke to him. "What happens when the council gives us our debriefing?"  
  
Shandar seemed disturbed out of a deep meditation, with his eyes open. "Hmm? Oh yes…I will speak with them, don't worry…if given a good reason they will understand."  
  
"Are we even needed?"  
  
"Well of course, partly. It's not that I don't trust you Revan…it's that the council doesn't trust you."   
  
"Yeah what's new…? I suppose that means you'll do all the talking, save for a few yes masters we understand masters? The council should have learned to trust us by now…"  
  
"And why should they have?" Shandar's abrupt question caught Revan off guard.  
  
"Well…um, I…" Revan stumbled with her words.  
  
"Because of your power? Revan you have to understand that there is more to being a Jedi, and especially a Jedi Knight, than power. You and Malak hold incredible skill and command the force like I've never seen…at least in a long time. But power only leads to the dark side if one does not have the wisdom to understand it and control it. That is what the council would be looking for in a padawan journeying to knight hood. And so would I." Revan listened well on her master's speech. Somehow he managed to make sense sometimes. She understood what he had said, but it still frustrated her. She had the will, the discipline, and the "wisdom" required, why couldn't they see that? If the council would only take the attention she and Malak deserved they would see that they were ready. Revan sat silent, and Shandar decided not to press the discussion any further. Mayla was currently somewhere inside the ship, she had never seen any of the core worlds, and had no idea what she was missing.  
  
Their ship was a light corvette, large but not gigantic. Which made it much easier to pilot than any other sort of larger craft. The concern of if there was a docking bay large enough in the academy to fit inside was present in Malak's mind. He had already been hassled by the Republic forces who were in control of all space traffic coming to and from the planet. Apparently he was piloting a warship, definitely not a civilian vessel, and it took some convincing a few access codes exclusive to Jedi coming to and fro. They allowed him passage but only under fighter escort. Fine by him, they had nothing to hide. The academy was on the dark side of the planet, night had fallen. The entire cityscape, which was the entire planet, was shining vibrantly with lights even in the late hour. Finally the two fighters escorting him broke off and Malak began his decent into the planet's atmosphere. Standard procedure, take it slow and try not to get burnt to a crisp.   
  
Mayla had been scurrying about the ship during the hyperspace travel. Lining the hallways and passages she discovered rooms of all sorts. Cargo rooms, bedrooms, lounge rooms, and even a few surprisingly well kept refreshers. Mayla had no clue where this ship came from and how it landed into the Jedi's hands until stumbling over the captains log. Trandoshan wasn't her best language but from what she could make out the last owners of this vessel were pirates. Busy pirates, the captain and his crew had been pillaging ships on that hyperspace route on a weekly basis and it made them very rich. It's too bad they happened to accidentally pick on the wrong diplomatic vessel or they might have become an even bigger problem. Too bad for them, good for everyone else who took that route. She knew about Trandoshans, and what she would have normally expected to find in the quarters of the crew turned out to be just the opposite. Very well kept, rich and expensive looking furniture, and even computers and technical equipment. She got the feeling this ship didn't belong to the Trandoshans to begin with. Somehow it must have fallen into their claws through illegitimate means of some sort. It was unknown what the gruesome fate of the original crew was, and it was better left that way.  
  
The outer rim holds many planets that receive little or no contact with the Republic. For whatever reason, there are many independent systems in the galaxy. But the most independent, and by the far the most ruthless and cunning, are the Sith. On the edges of their dark empire, there lies a planet that all but the most powerful and malevolent Dark Lords ever visit. Ancient by almost any standards, the planet looms in a system of dead rocks and gas giants, the only planet that could ever inhabit life holds deadlier things than the barren lifeless rocks and crushing gravity of its neighbors. As anything related to the Sith usually is. It is an unholy blemish on the galaxy. It reeks with the dark side even before one sets foot on the planet. For a degraded mind broods here..along with his dark Jedi minion…  
  
Echoing steps stretched throughout the gothic style archways as a tall figure clad in rotting black robes made his way with an unearthly speed. Bending around corners and traveling up flights of stairs of great spires. The top of a tower was his destination. He stepped before his Master's door. Not even having to knock it opened for him. Stepping inside, the eerie shallow light from the sky disappeared. Instead he was bathed in a dim candle light that bounced off the walls and his own figure. The Master's study was cluttered with things beyond even his grasp. Sith and Jedi holocrons, horrific weapons and various torture devices that haven't tasted tender flesh in so long. It almost made the dark apprentice sad.   
  
A man, or maybe it might have been a man at one point, rose from a meditating position. He moved as if part of the shadows themselves, and his hooded face was removed from sight. The much taller man who had just entered bowed his head out of respect…and fear. For this man was his Master, and this was his realm. The Master draws his power from the dark energies of this planet, adding and even more impressive arsenal of deadly force power to crush the life out of anything he would see fit. But the apprentice had nothing to fear for now, he had good news.  
  
"Why have you disturbed me…?" The hollow voice of the hooded figure spoke. His head rose as it did, revealing two black holes that stared at more than mere flesh.  
  
The apprentice could feel his Master's sight searching into his very soul. Undoubtedly he already knew of what he had to report, but he decided to confirm it for his aged Master. "I have news you would be interested in Master…the Jedi you watch…the strong one…"  
  
"Yes…I know. My plans will soon be in motion…and you have word from the Mandalorians as well yes…?"  
  
The apprentice nodded his head in a slow motion. "Good news my Lord…from Mandalore himself. It seems he is eager for war."  
  
"Bloodthirsty savages…I would expect no less of them…" The Master grinned a sickly expression. "Soon the Mandalorians and the Sith will unleash their fury upon the galaxy. And soon the cities of the Republic will burn…and their streets run red with the blood of the innocent…Yes…very soon."  
  
"And then our empire will expand…" The apprentice added in.  
  
"You fool…not then. It is only a step of the plan. We need her…she is the key"  
  
"I…am sorry master…forgive me" The apprentice lowered to his knee, bowing.  
  
"Rise Rann…do not be so…pathetic…Jedi like…"  
  
"Shall I set the bait Master…?" Rann spoke as rose to his feet.  
  
"Yes…go forth…and do not come back without the Jedi…." 


	7. Looking into Past Events Part 1

Revan & Malak  
  
Many years before the Jedi Revan's force power reached a potential that threatened the Sith, a dark apprentice landed his ship secretly on a planet named Dantooine. On the bidding of his Master, he was to search for a hidden artifact that the dark Master had sensed at this location. Rumors and ancient knowledge the Master had in position told of a device of unspeakable power of a long forgotten race. The Master had spent nearly his entire life in study and in search of any leads or clues to this device. But all have been fruitless…so far. Now he had sent his apprentice, Rann, to uncover a lead to this mystery.   
  
Rann could almos enjoy at outing from his Master's fortress. Maybe if it wasn't this far into Republic territory. The threat of being caught and captured ever lingered, but that did not bother him. In fact, he would find it most interesting if he was forced to kill any who discovered the plans of the Sith. The only thing that worried him was the Jedi. Weak and puny they mostly are, but a few deadly masters of the force and blade lingered among their ranks. Rann could easily take them in battle. Some however, were far beyond his capabilities.   
  
"Bah…" He shrugged off his thoughts out loud. What were the chances of the JedI finding him on a miniscule farming world such as this?   
  
Rann had landed his ship as near to where he could feel the dark side emanating from. Its presence grew stronger the more he walked across the sloping grass plains. He looked, and felt, so out of place among the green and earthly colors of Dantooine. Everything about him was dark and gritty. From the swaying black robes to the slight clanking of his metallic armor. He stomped on the plants with disregard of their tiny existences. He was a destructive force that could slaughter the innocence of this planet with little difficulty. Or second thought. This made him feel good. It made him feel superior.   
  
He crossed a bridge over a gentle stream of water. The smell was something unfamiliar to him. It was the smell of life, of growing things. He had become so used to death and decay that it was as familiar to him as…this smell must have been to these settlers. He saw the estate of one of the humans on a nearby hill. How quaint and unassuming it was, if only the battle droids weren't there.  
  
Battle droids? Rann thought to himself. Were Republic forces here? Rann grew tense and fondled the light saber in his robes. But then he noticed something, the droids formed a perimeter around the house. Almost as if they were guarding it. Now it all made sense to the dark apprentice. These settlers are not as weak as he had originally thought. Rann carried on normally, one of the guard droids took slight notice of his huge black figure as he strode on by. He was at a far distance, so the droid passed it off as a simple traveler taking a slight detour through his master's estate and returned to his patrol.  
  
After much drawn out walking, Rann finally turned around a bend and found what he had been searching for. A set of stone pillars led up on either side of the small inlet of the small cliff side. Leading up to a stone entrance with a very strange looking door. On closer examination when he approached it, it seemed to have no handle or any other obvious way to enter. Puzzled, Rann stood before the door. He reached out hesitantly, something he would rarely do, and touched it. Upon his touch the door slid from its interlocking stones. Touch operated, this is much more than a simple set of rubble and ruins. Rann entered.  
  
Suddenly he was in a completely different place. A huge alien made cavern stretched out from either side from open windows in the eerie blue shaded room. Intricate architecture, but all made of stone. Strange for an alien race that could construct a device that would interest his Master. This must have been some kind of temple, or tomb. Whatever its original purpose was it didn't matter as Rann waded through the light gray mist around his feet. He made it to the middle of the first room, before he sensed something. A presence. A very powerful presence. He could sense it in the room ahead, but what could it be? He only thought one thing as the presence revealed itself…Jedi.  
  
It was a she, he could tell that much for sure. A woman in an almost gown like white robe. Showing off her curvy features but leaving most of it to the creative imagination. Her braided white hair sat atop her youthful face. What betrayed her youth was the stern gaze of a Jedi that nearly made Rann wince from under his hood. Those eyes showed wisdom, and skill.   
  
The two stared each other down for a moment, before the Jed finally spoke, "You do not belong in this place wretched Sith. By the disciples of the Guardians of Everlast I will vanquish you if you do not turn back to your ship."  
  
Rann smirked, but she could not see, "You guard the secrets of the Star Forge…I assume…"  
  
She almost gasped, "You…you know of it?"  
  
"I know much…or at least my Master does…" He couldn't help but grin at the delightful face she was making. Much better now.  
  
"You are a threat that must be destroyed…" Matters had gone out of proportions for the Jedi at this point. This Sith knows of what they protect. He must not live, and then his Master would be dealt with. Hopefully he is the only one that knows of this. If not, this could prove to be more disastrous than ever imagined by her. She rashly drew her light saber, the blue blade glowed with an almost solid white before her.   
  
Rann raised any eyebrow at this move. He chuckled as he drew his own blade. Pulling out a much larger saber staff. Moving into a ready stance he held out the saber, two beams of deep red light hissed out from both sides.   
  
The Jedi looked worried now, but had little time to think much on her new development as Rann charged with a bellowing roar of anger. His dual blades spun in an elegant circle as he attacked, swiping in at both sides in quick motions. The Jedi blocked his attack, although just barely. She had been caught off guard, but now she was ready when Rann attacked again  
  
She leapt back as Rann stabbed inward, and counter attacked with a strike of her own. She swung her blade in a wide arc from her position. Rann blocked it almost too easily with the top blade of his saber. As her sword bounced off from his parry she swung in again much quicker from her right. Rann parried again, but with an added difficulty from the speed of her cut.   
  
Rann clenched his jaw together as he took his steps back into the room he had first entered. His Jedi opponent was hacking, jabbing, and slashing with an unrelenting speed. Rann kept mainly on the defense, parrying all of her attacks with both deadly blades of his staff. An unexpected slice skimmed across his metal clad shoulder, the saber sparking on the thin cortosis mail. He then counter attacked, catching her off guard with a spinning kick to her side. Stunning her for a few precious moments as he spun around again, this time with his blade ready to slice.   
  
The Guardian raised her saber to defend just in time. Rann's sword clashed together with hers. It was not a test of physical strength between them, as the power of the force was backing both of them up. It seemed even as they grinded their sabers against each other. Tiny beads of sweat formed on Rann's brow as he struggled to push on his opponents weapon. The force is strong with this one…Rann had a surprise for her though.  
  
His right hand placed itself on a small button on the saber's hilt. Upon pressing it, the saber split into two separate blades. The Jedi gasped in horror as Rann pulled back his second blade to attack. She summoned all of her strength into her scrawny arms to push back the Sith's much thicker blade. She casted his arm aside, leaving his belly and chest exposed. Taking advantage of Rann's downed guard she stabbed for his chest. The saber slicing easily through his robes.  
  
Then it stopped, and she felt resistance. The cortosis based armor Rann was wearing under his filthy robes had successfully guarded against her feeble attack. She stared up into his dark face with horror, and the last thing she saw was a grinning face of brown skin. Rann sliced both sabers, cutting her head off clean like a pair of scissors. She slumped to the floor soon after her head had fallen, her saber burnt out. 


	8. Episode 7

Revan & Malak  
  
The debriefing was rather simple, and somewhat impersonal. At least to Revan's tastes. Shandar of course, as he had said, did most of the talking and the apologizing. According to the council however apolopgies weren't needed. Malak thought otherwise, he seemed be blaming himself for the tragedy. And as much as Revan didn't want to, she felt partly responsible as well. No one, and truly no one was as down in the dumps as Mayla. She hadn't even left the ship since they arrived back at the academy, and there wasn't any visible chance that she was coming out any time soon.  
  
Once they were through with the council, Revan was relieved. Malak just the same. Neither of them were booted out of the Jedi order for their failure. The council even went so far as to call it a "learning experience". Which was foolish in Revan's head. Malak was frustrated with it all, and needed to blow off some steam. When Malak needs to vent some anger he usually heads over to the training rooms, which is exactly what Revan suggested. Malak almost smiled at her quick suggestion and uttered something that Revan found barely audible. "You always seem to know what I want..."  
  
The duo made it their personal mission to avoid Bandon at all costs. Even so much as to take the long way around the academy when they saw the young padawan in a hallway that was in their path. The last thing they needed was him walking on their heels and asking them questions. It was for his own good, Malak might have been tempted to do something awful.  
  
They chose a training room that was unocupied, just the way they like it. Malak then procceded to smash nearly helpless droids to bits, turning up the training regimen every so often. Revan practiced her force powers by levitating various bits and pieces of broken droids, sometimes using larger scraps to scrap other droids. Malak stoot and watched as Revan exercised her force power into a bolt of pure electrical energy. Something that was very difficult to pull off, especially for a padawan. Revan needed absolute concentration, but when she could focus her powers effectively it was an impressive sight. The unfortunate droids she had tested herself on was electrocuted and fried to a burnt sparking crisp.  
  
Malak couldn't watch Revan forever though, and turned back to training with another set of droids. He smirked and jumped into the middle of five droids, coming down with his lightsaber. It sizzled and cracked into the armored shell of the droid. Nearly splitting it in two.  
  
Malak swung around with both body and blade. Cleaving several droids with his mighty cut. He moved his saber behind his back in an awkward position as a droid shot it's blaster at his exposed rear. But Malak was too fast and to skilled for such an attempt. The bolts were deflected with his saber and were precisely retured to the droid. Too easy he thought. He had actually left his back exposed to the droid, just to test his reflexes in deflecting at shot from behind. It was apparent that his force reflexes were up to par.  
  
When they had at last maxed out their traing droid usage, the duo's gaze finally met eachother again. Both Jedi glanced at the other's lightsaber. Revan chuckled and pulled her blade up and went into a stance. Malak raised any eyebrow curiously at first, but then put his saber up as well. They never spared together, too often. Sparing with lightsabers was considered to be very dangerous and was only practiced by the most skilled Jedi masters. Knowing how to kill your opponent was once thing, attacking them and avoiding any serious harm was another.   
  
It was a stare down of epic proportions indeed. Neither of the two moved in to attack, both kept their distance and help a defensive stance. Revan was first to act but not it a way Malak expected. She lowered her blade to the side and took up a hand. She held it up, and what resulted was the lifting of a mass of broken droid pieces. Arms, legs, torsos, and heads levitated by the invisible power of the force. Revan waved her entire arm across her and the metal scraps were flung at Malak.  
  
Standing his ground he bravely swung at the first droid appendage that came near him. Splitting it in half and seemingly destroying Revan's force connection over it. The force was practically flowing through his saber as he cut at the next metal scrap. Easily dispatching it like the one before.  
  
Revan increased the speed at which she was flinging things at Malak. Throwing them at odd angles that made it much more difficult to block from. Much to her surprise, he was actually begining to step forward through the hail of droid parts. More than stepping now, more like running toward her! She dropped the rest of her mobile bludgeons and raised her saber just in time to defend against an attack.   
  
That strangely unique sound of two lightsabers clashing filled the room. And Malak was almost blinded by the sudden white flash. He was definetely unused to it, but he would adjust. He flowed through as series of slow attacks, attacks that were parried with deft ease. Malak turned up the heat slightly and came at her with a fast and powerful swipe. He wasn't surprised when Revan managed to block it.  
  
She hadn't expected that last attack. He was more serious about this than she thought. Revan's response was an offensive of her own. While Malak prepared for another powerful swipe, Revan cut in with a dangerous speed. Forcing him to think twice about attacking again and concentrate on a defense. Strength wasn't needed where a lightsaber was concerned, just the slightedt touch could badly injure someone. And that was Revan's attack plan. Fast blinding strikes with limited strength behind the blows but at an intense speed. She knew Malak was stronger anyways, atleast where muscles were concerned.  
  
It soon turned into a dazzling display of spins and elegant swordplay. The two switching from offense to defense so often until neither of them were doing it for more than a few brief moments. Each disadvantage was played, each off balance was taken advantage of, and each attack was parried. The two hadn't laid a saber's edge on each other so far. It appeared to be an even match.  
  
Revan saw an opening for an attack, but it wasn't with her saber. She let loose her force powers from a free hand. An invisible wind knocked Malak away from her and was followed up by a swift drop kick into his jaw. Sending him realing into the air across the room. He crashed into the wall with a loud thump...and another thump as he hit the floor. Groaning.  
  
She turned off her saber with that trademark "thwump" sound and rushed over to Malak's aid. She kneeled down beside him. Still breathing and groaning, that was a good sign.  
  
"Hurt?" She asked, it seemed like such a simple thing to say.  
  
"Yes...and no," He staggered up, shaking his head.  
  
"Huh? Oh..hehe, your pride eh? Sorry about that," She stractched that back of her head, embarrassed.  
  
"I'll live..." Malak was obviously sweating when he spoke. They both were.  
  
The next few days passed by without anything unordinary happening. Bandon had eventually caught up with the two Jedi, and had interogated them about their mission. Revan was reluctant to tell Bandon anything about it but still gave him the majority of the story. She left out certain things of course. Bandon seemed mesmerized as Revan spoke. Malak could have sworn she wasn't using any Jedi mind tricks on him. He still seemed under a trance though, hanging on her every word. Revan actually enjoyed it. Malak stayed silent, occasionaly telling Bandon that some things were not of his business. Mandrak had eventually came to fetch Bandon. He gave Revan and Malak a few dirty looks before carrying off his student by the ear. Poor Bandon, he atleast had her pity.  
  
The day seemed like it would end like any other as Revan settled down in her computer chair to look through some data file before hitting the sack. What usually didn't happen at this hour was someone knocking on her door. She sauntered over to the source of the knocking and hit the open button. It was Jacen, long dark hair and all. Although he wasn't dressed in the customary robes of the Jedi. Rather it was a mix of his battle boots and gloves with a much more casual line of clothing. Jacen was the tall, dark, and handsome type, he definately had a sense of style. Revan wanted to slap herself for thinking of that, what a stupid idea...tall, dark, and handsom. So cliche, what are you thinking Revan? More like what are doing? He's standing right there!  
  
"Uh...Hey," She was really hating the sound of her voice right there.  
  
"Am I..interupting something?" He asked quizickly, and with a raised eyebrow of interest and curiosity.  
  
"N-no, not at all! Was there something you..wanted? Or is this just a friendly visit?" She was bordering on sarcasm right there. Such an easy defense mechanism it was.  
  
"Call it both..just wanted to stop by and see if you were busy.." His voice was low, and calm too. He kept such a constant cool. Revan envied that.  
  
"Well of course I'm not busy, it's rather late you know. What did you want by the way?" Straight to the point, so Malak like at times.  
  
"Thirsty?" He asked. Leaving Revan with a confused look on her face.  
  
"Huh..?" She didn't follow.  
  
"Haha..Care for a drink? Downtown? I know you could use one, after that mission." He gave her a smirk.  
  
She blushed,"Uh..sure! Just let me get my..er..things..and stuff"   
  
Stop blushing you fool! She thought to herself as she went back inside the room to get her boots on. She was already dressed in a darker attire. Black robes seemed to find their way on her more often these days. That and black leather, that made the council cringe. And she enjoyed that. They left the outside of her room in almost a hurry. Revan hadn't been outside the academy since she had gotten back. So now she was eager to leave once again, even if it only was still on Coruscant.  
  
Now, Revan didn't have a speeder but she did have a set of ignition codes for Malak's. Unknown to him of course. Jacen seemed to hardly care too much for going off with Malak's speeder. Revan figured that he'd never know. When everyone is that care free disaster it bound to happen. Jacen however wasn't worried, it wasn't his friend's speeder after all. Ever the gentleman he offered Revan the pilot's seat. Which she gladly accepted.  
  
"Don't worry, I know how to fly this thing. I've seen Malak do it a hundred times! And I have flown other speeders."  
  
"This one seems..Faster. It might be the chrome finish that gives me that feeling. Where did he get this thing?"  
  
"Theres an entire story in that..I'll spare you.." Revan typed in the ignition codes. Failure. And then again. Failure.  
  
"I though you remembered it..."  
  
"I do...I must have one wrong or something.." She began to get frustrated. Success! "Haha! See, I knew it."  
  
"I never doubted you.."  
  
Revan was a fair pilot, and she gracefuly guided the speeder out of the hangar and into the cool night air. She speeded through night time traffic, gradualy heading down into the city depths. Jacen knew where they were going, the usual place. A dive in the lower city. Bad crowd but good drinks. He'd been there before, hell, even before he was a Jedi he was messing with that crowd. Those days were behind him now though. He would have to avoid any scuffles, he was a Jedi now. Besides, the chances of another group of Gamoreans picking a fight with a few Jedi was slim to nill. They most likely still remembered the last bar fight they had there, and who the winners were.  
  
"Okay..plan of action," Revan spoke as she parked the speeder in an open spot outside the bar,"We have a drink..and try not to kill anyone."  
  
"Agreed. They might not let us in ever again if we slaughter another group of drunken aliens."  
  
"Yeah..As fun as that might be." Revan joked, but Jacen gave her a weird look,"What..?"  
  
"Hehe..nothin sister, come on." He motioned for her to exit the speeder as he did.   
  
"Same crowd. Same faces," Revan said as she scanned the crowd of aliens and humanoids inside.  
  
"Were you expecting something different? This place never changes, trust me."  
  
They took two seats at the bar and ordered their drinks. Jacen was always a good listener, and that was good because when Revan wanted to talk..she talked. About the mission mostly. Jacen seemed very interested in the story she had to tell. Nodding and giving various comments. Revan could tell he suspected something though, as she had left out a few elements of the story.  
  
"You killed Zsar out of self defense?" Jacen's brow furrowed a bit.  
  
"Yeah...He was mad. Out of his mind." Revan said that a little bit too quickly.  
  
"Hmph..no reasoning with him, right?" Revan wasn't sure what he meant by that, from the tone of his voice and the way he said it. Did he suspect something?  
  
"We had no choice!" She burst out at him.  
  
"Right..I understand...there's no reasoning with a madman. Unless of course you happen to be mad yourself. Then I suppose you could relate somehow. Might make converstation and reasoning easier. Or even more difficult."  
  
"Stop rambling..."  
  
"Right..."  
  
Revan finished up the rest of the story, about how she and Malak were rescued. And how Mayla chose to stay and come back to the academy with them.  
  
"You mean she's in the ship? Right now?"  
  
"Mmhmm..She hasn't come out since we got back. I'm guessing she's been eating the food stored inside."  
  
"I hear Trandoshans have an iron gut."  
  
"I've never had the chance to sample any Trandoshan delicacy. Thankfuly. Hmm..She can keep to herself all she wants for now. She has alot of things to sort out, ya know?"  
  
The rest of the conversation carried on. It was good to be able to talk with someone besides Malak. He was just too serious sometimes. Jacen could be the cold type sometimes, he still had a "warm heart" as Revan liked to call it. He had life in him, youth despite his age, so much unlike any normal Jedi. Especially the rotting corpses of the Jedi Council. Hearts made of stone. Only cold and calculating logic. The way they bore into your soul with those unwavering eyes. It made Revan's blood boil.  
  
The time finally arrived when they had to leave. They payed and casualy strode out of the bar, only to find the most peculiar thing. An alien of undescript origin was tampering with the controls of Malak's speeder. The alien was operating some kind of code hacking device. Revan was about to draw her lightsaber to scare the little thing off when the speeder vroomed to life. The alien nearly screamed with delight but his celebrating was cut short by a seeping green gas eminating from somewhere in the cockpit. It howled once before slumping over onto the seat, apparently knocked out cold.  
  
"The hell..?" Jacen said..looking very confused, "What is that, some kind of security feature?"  
  
"No...Malak never had anything like that installed-"  
  
"That's because I put it there," A voice spoke out from the shadows. Revan and Jacen turned about quickly to meet the source of the voice. He was short, to say the least. That was his second most prominent feature. His first were the two largest blaster pistols Revan had ever seen in his hands," You just got lucky...thats all. My device failed. But I won't. Nobody gets away from Calo Nord. Nobody." 


End file.
